Long-term reliability for a military electronic system often depends on long-term availability, and Collins Aerospace has made the ARC-201 airborne radio available for a long time, recently delivering the 50,000th radio. In addition to its availability, the radio's durability and reliability contribute to this being the world’s most popular tactical airborne radio, in use on more than 200 platforms and applications in over 50 countries. Based on flexible software-defined-radio (SDR) technology, the ARC-210 airborne radio has evolved during its lifetime, with the latest version incorporating advanced encryption and anti-jam technologies for increased communications data security.
The historic 50,000th radio (see the figure) was delivered to the U.S. Navy, specifically Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Air Combat Electronics, a customer for the radio since 1990 (when the manufacturer was known as Rockwell Collins). The radio provides multiple-frequency-band operation with multimode functionality so that coalition forces can communicate effectively and securely under many different theatres and operating conditions. The latest, sixth iteration of the SDR, the model ARC-210 RT-2036, includes advanced encryption and security features along with support for the latest communications waveforms, such as Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) and Second Generation Anti-jam Tactical UHF Radio for NATO (SATURN) waveforms.
The wide frequency range of the ARC-210 enables communications among military troops and other government and civilian users, including National Guard and civilian First Responders. “As the market leader in airborne communications, Collins Aerospace remains committed to bringing tomorrow’s technology to the warfighter today,” said Ryan Bunge, vice-president and general manager, Communication, Navigation, and Guidance Solutions for Collins Aerospace, a unit of Raytheon Technologies (www.rte.com). “We’re proud to hit this delivery milestone, continuing our legacy of providing our military and allied nations with reliable communications when it matters most,” he added.