Army to invest $3B in new handheld radios

The Army wants to spend more than $3 billion to buy new Handheld Manpack Radios over the next four years, according to budget documents released Feb. 10.


That’s about $450 million more than Army officials projected they would spend on the radios during the same time period in budget documents last year.


The radios are a key element to what the service calls the integrated tactical network, the concept behind the Army’s modernized battlefield network which will incrementally add capabilities units every two years beginning in 2021. The Army will invest in the 2-channel Leader radio, the Manpack radio and the Rifleman radio. L3Harris and Thales are the primary contractors for the Leader and Rifleman radios while Collins Aerospace and L3Harris are the primary contractors for the Manpack radios.


The radios are arguably the most visible piece as the Army revamps its battlefield network. That effort is expected to cost roughly $9.6 billion over the next five years.


For fiscal year 2021, Army leaders requested $550 million in procurement funds for the radios. That money will be used for Leader radios for five brigade combat teams, according to budget documents.


In addition, budget documents show the Army anticipates procurement spending of $687 million in fiscal year 2022, $836 million in 2023 and $989 million in 2024.