The AN/PRC-160 Wideband HF/VHF Manpack Radio is a tactical HF/VHF manpack radio manufactured by L3Harris. The PRC-160 is the manpack HF radio for the Harris Falcon III family of radios. It replaces the earlier AN/PRC-150, with a smaller form factor and lighter weight than its predecessor, and being capable of 4th Generation Automatic Link Establishment (4G ALE), achieving data transmission speeds up to 10 times faster.[3]
| AN/PRC-160 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Manpack tactical radio |
| Service History | |
| Used by | US Army, US Marines, US Air Force, German Army,[1] |
| Conflicts | Iraq War, War in Afghanistan, |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | L3Harris |
| Produced | 2017–present |
| Specifications | |
| Frequency range | 1.6-60 MHz |
| Transmit power | up to 20 watts |
| Modes | FM (VHF), AM, AME, SSB, CW |
| Encryption | NSA Type 1 algorithms (Top Secret and below) |
| Weight | 9.1 lbs (w/o battery) |
Service history
editThe AN/PRC-160 began production in 2017 as the HF manpack component to the Harris Falcon III ecosystem of tactical radios.[4] Several DoD contracts have since been signed by branches of the US military, including a nearly $8 million US Air Force contract for 264 radios.[5] The PRC-160 is part of the Integrated Tactical Network, the US Army's successor to the failed Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) program.[3] The PRC-160 is also in service with the special operations forces of multiple European nations, including Germany, Poland, France, and Ukraine.[6]
The PRC-160 offers improved data transmissions speeds compared to previous generation HF manpack radios, thanks to the use of 4G ALE.[4][7][8] This improvement in data speed, combined with the fact that HF radios (unlike SATCOM radios) do not require external infrastructure to achieve Beyond-Line-of-Sight (BLOS) communications with stations several hundred miles away, has led to many nations armed forces investing in new HF radios for redundancy against the vulnerabilities of SATCOM radio communication systems.[9]
Specifications
edit- Frequency Range: 1.5-60 MHz[10]
- Presets: 99, fully programmable[10]
- Transmit Power: HF- 1 to 20 watts PEP, VHF- 1 to 10 watts FM[10]
- Waveforms: AM, AME, USB, LSB, CW, FM[10]
- Antenna connector: BNC female with threaded collar, 50 Ω characteristic impedance, unbalanced[10]
- Antenna Tuning Capability: OE-505 10-foot (3 m) whip, RF-1941 dipole, random wires, long wires[10]
- Data Interface: USB and Ethernet with adapter[10]
- GPS: Internal antenna, with external antenna connector. Commercial and SAASM-compatible external antennas available for both.[10]
- Management Tool: Windows-based Communications Planning Application (CPA), WebUI for network monitoring and management[10]
- Encryption: NSA Type 1 (Top Secret and below), AES, Citadel (NSA-approved exportable COMSEC)[10]
References
edit- ^ "AN/PRC-160 – Division Schnelle Kräfte führt neue HF-Funkgerätegeneration ein". Soldat & Technik (in German). September 4, 2023. Archived from the original on January 25, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- ^ "Netherlands acquiring new radios and C4I system under Foxtrot". Janes. May 21, 2024.
- ^ a b "Helicopter and Multi Mission Radios". Program Executive Office for Command, Control and Communications-Tactical. Archived from the original on January 25, 2024.
- ^ a b "The HF Communications Renaissance". Spectrum. L3Harris. October 2020. Archived from the original on January 23, 2024. Retrieved January 23, 2024 – via issuu.
- ^ "Contracts for July 18, 2018". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved January 23, 2024.[dead link]
- ^ White, Andrew (February 1, 2021). "High Frequency for SOF". Armada International. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
- ^ "The HF Communications Renaissance". L3Harris. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- ^ White, Andrew (September 22, 2020). "The military renaissance in high frequency communications". C4ISRNet. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- ^ Revoir, R. F. (February 18, 2008). Satellite Vulnerabilities (PDF). Quantico, VA: Defense Technical Information Center. p. 2. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 25, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "FALCON III® AN/PRC-160(V) - Wideband HF/VHF Tactical Radio System" (PDF). L3Harris Technologies. January 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 26, 2024.