IN Brief:
- L3Harris has received US Army production orders worth a combined $121 million for its Low-Cost Data Radio solution.
- LOCODA supports narrowband and wideband waveforms, anti-jam communications, mobile ad hoc networking, and SINCGARS.
- Compatibility with existing vehicle installation kits is intended to simplify the introduction of upgraded communications capabilities.
L3Harris Technologies has received US Army production orders worth a combined $121 million for its Low-Cost Data Radio (LOCODA) solution, extending the service’s tactical communications capabilities through equipment designed to use existing military vehicle installation kits. The system supports several types of radio waveform, allowing Army command-and-control applications to exchange information through different communications arrangements.
The orders, confirmed on 2 November, cover an enhanced vehicle communications capability incorporating narrowband and wideband waveforms, anti-jam functions, low-probability-of-intercept and low-probability-of-detection communications, mobile ad hoc networking, and Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio Systems (SINCGARS). The equipment is intended to provide commanders with multiple transport options for voice and data through a common installation.
Military command systems depend on communications links capable of carrying different types of information between vehicles, personnel, sensors, and headquarters. Voice traffic, position reports, operational messages, and digital application data place different demands on the available radio network. LOCODA’s multi-waveform approach is intended to accommodate those requirements without making each function dependent on a separate dedicated vehicle installation.
The distinction between narrowband and wideband operation determines how radio resources are used. Narrowband waveforms occupy comparatively limited spectrum and can support tactical voice and lower-rate data services, while wideband communications offer greater capacity for transferring information. Actual throughput depends on the selected waveform, available spectrum, signal conditions, and the way traffic is managed across the network.
Supporting both classes of waveform allows a common communications system to address different operating requirements. A vehicle may need to exchange voice traffic through an established tactical network while also using higher-capacity links for digital applications. The radio configuration and its integration with onboard communications equipment determine which functions can operate together and how information moves between them.
LOCODA also supports Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) waveforms. These allow compatible radio nodes to establish communications and, where the network configuration permits, relay information through other participating nodes. The arrangement can support distributed formations operating without continuous access to fixed communications infrastructure, with network connections changing as individual platforms move.
Movement introduces technical demands because the radio links between vehicles can vary with distance, terrain, obstructions, and interference. A mobile network must accommodate changes in which nodes can communicate directly and which connections require intermediate links. The available waveform, routing arrangements, and radio resources influence how reliably information can be exchanged as the network changes.
Support for SINCGARS connects LOCODA with an established family of tactical communications equipment used by US and allied military forces. SINCGARS provides a recognised radio architecture for ground and airborne applications, allowing compatible systems to exchange communications using approved configurations. Its inclusion alongside newer networking functions supports integration across equipment generations.
The Army orders also cover communications capabilities intended for contested electromagnetic environments. Anti-jam techniques seek to maintain radio links when interference or deliberate disruption affects the operating channel. Low-probability-of-intercept and low-probability-of-detection waveforms address the characteristics that may make a transmission easier for another receiver to identify, with their performance dependent on the equipment, configuration, and surrounding radio conditions.
These functions form part of the waveform capability supported by LOCODA, which brings them together with established tactical communications methods. Their integration provides different options for carrying operational information, allowing the selected configuration to reflect the communications requirements and conditions encountered by the participating units.
Vehicle installation is another major element of the programme. Military radios connect with electrical power, antennas, cabling, mounting hardware, and control equipment, making replacement or modernisation more complicated when existing interfaces also have to be changed. LOCODA is designed to use installation kits already present on Army vehicles, reducing the extent of physical modification associated with introducing the new equipment.
Retaining suitable installation hardware can simplify the sequence of work needed to introduce a communications upgrade. Technicians still have to fit and configure the equipment, establish compatibility with the vehicle’s existing systems, and verify operation, but the use of established interfaces can reduce the amount of new installation work. Training can also draw on familiar arrangements where the equipment and operating procedures remain compatible.
Chris Aebli, president of Communications & Spectrum Dominance at L3Harris, said LOCODA would support new communications requirements while reducing the installation work associated with vehicle upgrades. He identified its use of “existing installation kits” as a central part of the company’s approach to fielding the equipment.
The relationship between the radio and command applications is central to the programme. Communications equipment provides the transport through which information reaches connected users and systems. The applications themselves can involve different command, operational, or information-management functions, with the radio carrying the traffic according to its supported waveforms and interfaces.
L3Harris has an established military communications business supplying software-defined radios, tactical networking equipment, and related systems. Its wider portfolio includes handheld, manpack, and vehicle communications products, with LOCODA adding another production requirement within the Army’s existing communications modernisation activities.
The manufacturing work will involve producing equipment capable of supporting the required waveforms and integrating it with the specified Army vehicle installation arrangements. Configuration, testing, and acceptance will establish whether delivered units satisfy the contractual requirements, while fielding activities will depend on the Army’s selected platforms and deployment plans.
The $121 million represents the combined value of multiple production orders rather than a maximum contracting ceiling. The orders establish a further procurement commitment for L3Harris’s tactical communications equipment, with vehicle integration and the supported waveform configurations forming the basis for its introduction into Army command-and-control networks.
