Thales Awarded U.S. Army Contract for the VIPER Mounted Rifleman Radio System
Thales has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Army for its AN/VRC-121 Vehicle Integrated Power Enhanced Rifleman (VIPER) Radio system. This award continues the Army’s initiative to push networked connectivity to the tactical edge of the battlefield and will be used as part of future Capability Set fielding. It will also equip the Brigade Modernization Command for NIE 16.2.
VIPER, developed jointly with Ultralife Corporation, is the solution for the U.S. Army’s requirement to field a single channel, vehicle mounted radio running the tactical Soldier Radio Waveform (SRW). VIPER can be installed into the Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS) Combat Net Radio (CNR) vehicle mount or used in a stand‐alone configuration. The system provides an independent or second channel solution for vehicle communications acting as a conduit for voice and data between the dismounted soldier, mounted platforms, the Unit, and higher commands. VIPER integrates and interacts seamlessly with the Army’s widely-fielded AN/PRC‐154A Rifleman Radio, and allows for rapid delivery of a low‐risk, operationally-tested, highly reliable solution for the Army’s SRW vehicular radio needs.
Thales’ VIPER and AN/PRC-154A Rifleman Radio deliver voice and data simultaneously for secure, inter-squad, networked communications and situational awareness that improve the soldiers mission effectiveness. The VIPER solution ensures that the U.S. Army has immediate interoperability with the more than 21,000 currently fielded Rifleman Radios across both UHF and L bands. It also provides "jerk and run" access to the installed Rifleman Radio, enabling a quick transition between mounted and dismounted operations without losing communications. The Rifleman Radio – also being manufactured by Thales under the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) Handheld, Manpack, and Small Form Fit (HMS) program – has been fully tested, certified, and deployed.
Thales has leveraged over two decades of handheld radio design experience to develop the VIPER and Rifleman Radio solutions. Individually, these platforms exceeded the original program requirements by improving battery life, mission weight, and waveform performance, while also enhancing the user interface. Together, they provide the most capable, best-in-class soldier radio solution on the market. Thales remains committed to the U.S. Army’s HMS Radio programs and the network modernization initiative.
Thales’ VIPER and Rifleman Radio products are manufactured at the company’s Clarksburg, Md. facilities.
About Thales
Thales is a global technology leader for the Aerospace, Transport, Defense and Security markets. With 61,000 employees in 56 countries, Thales reported sales of $17.1 billion in 2014. With over 20,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design and deploy equipment, systems and services to meet the most complex security requirements. Its unique international footprint allows it to work closely with its customers all over the world.
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