Rockwell Collins’ military ground radio achieves Type-1 NSA certification

Rockwell Collins achieved a significant milestone in its ground radio program as the National Security Agency (NSA) has issued the company a Type-1 certification for its AN/PRC-162(V)1 RT-2048(C)U military ground radio, the Cedar Rapids, IA-based company announced on September 26. The certification validates that the radio provides protected handling of classified information up to and including Top Secret, as required for successful military operations.

The AN/PRC-162 is a next-generation two-channel ground radio, both man-portable and vehicle-mountable, that will enable U.S. Armed Forces to tap into new communications capabilities such as the U.S. Department of Defense’s Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) while maintaining interoperability with legacy waveforms. An open-architecture design allows for software-upgradeable capabilities in the future.

“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 is part of Rockwell Collins’ TruNet networked communications family of products which includes ground and airborne radios, advanced networking waveforms, applications, support and services that enable ground and airborne elements to exchange critical data, images, voice and video in real time.

Source: Rockwell Collins