AN/PRC-150

Last updated

AN/PRC-150
AN PRC-150 radio set.jpg
TypeManpack tactical radio
Service History
Used by United States Army, US Marines
Conflicts Iraq War, War in Afghanistan,

Operation Inherent Resolve

Production history
ManufacturerL3Harris
Specifications
Frequency range1.6-60 MHz
Transmit powerup to 20 watts
Modes FM (VHF), AM, AME, SSB, CW
EncryptionNSA Type 1 algorithms (Top Secret and below)

The AN/PRC-150(C) Falcon II Manpack Radio, is a tactical HF-SSB/ VHF-FM manpack radio manufactured by Harris Corporation. [1] It holds an NSA certification for Type 1 encryption. [2] The PRC-150 is the manpack HF radio for the Harris Falcon II family of radios, introduced in the early 2000s.

Contents

The designation AN/PRC translates to Army/Navy Portable Radio Communications, according to Joint Electronics Type Designation System guidelines.

Users

The AN/PRC-150(C) radio is currently in use with the United States Army, United States Special Operations Command [3] as well as within the US Marine Corps and United States Air Force.

The PRC-150 is particularly popular for use in dismounted reconnaissance units, such as the US Army's Long Range Surveillance units (now deactivated), IBCT Dismounted Reconnaissance Troops (DRT) and IBCT Infantry battalion scout platoons. This is due to the fact that the PRC-150 can achieve Beyond Line-Of-Sight (BLOS) communications over 1500 km away in a radio/antenna package that can fit inside an assault pack. When used with a tactical laptop, such as a Panasonic Toughbook, the PRC-150 can be used as an HF IP data modem for text messaging, email, and multimedia file sharing, important for transmitting reports and photographic imagery collected by a recon unit.

It is being phased out in favor of the newer AN/PRC-160, the manpack HF radio for the Harris Falcon III family of radios. The PRC-160 is lighter and smaller than the PRC-150, and is capable of 4th Generation Automatic Link Establishment (4G ALE) and up to 10x faster data speeds. [4]

Specifications

AN/PRC-150 Harris 5800.jpg
AN/PRC-150

General

Receiver

Transmitter

Environmental

HF Features

VHF Features

COMSEC Interoperability

ANDVT/KY-99, ANDVT/KY-100, KG-84C, KY-57 VINSON (VHF), CITADEL (NSA approved exportable COMSEC)

See also

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References

  1. "Harris Corporation Awarded Contract With a Potential Value of $422 Million For Falcon II AN/PRC-150(C) High-Frequency Tactical Radios". Archived from the original on October 1, 2011. Retrieved May 4, 2007.
  2. "AN/PRC-150(C) Advanced HF/VHF Tactical Radio System" (PDF). Harris Corporation. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 23, 2017. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  3. Defense Tech: SOCOM's New Radio Archived May 9, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  4. "Program Executive Office Command Control Communications-Tactical (PEO-C3T) > Organizations > PM Tactical Radios > Helicopter and Multi Mission Radios". PEO C3T.