Military communications security can be difficult to achieve, but Rockwell Collins has reached a major milestone with its AN/PRC-162(V)1 RT-2048CU military ground radio. The radio, which provides secure handling of classified information, recently earned Type-1 certification from the National Security Agency (NSA), validating that the radio is safe for use in communicating classified information up to and including “Top Secret” level.
The two-channel radio can be used as a man-portable and vehicle-mounted combat communications device. Its open-architecture design draws upon software-defined-radio (SDR) technology for flexible capabilities. The Type-1 certification qualifies the radio’s use in a wider range of military applications, including in DoD Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) applications.
“The NSA certification is a big step on our journey to provide troops with the latest communications technology available for operating in a more complex, multi-domain battlespace,” said Troy Brunk, vice president and general manager, Communication, Navigation, and Electronic Warfare Solutions for Rockwell Collins. “We’ve leveraged decades of proven experience in airborne communications to develop a ground radio that will provide users with a heightened level of situational awareness and a tactical advantage.”
The AN/PRC-162 ground radios are capable secure, high-speed communications of data, images, voice, and video in real time.