A JTRS gets a DOD OK

In a significant step for the Joint Tactical Radio System program, the first radio has received its architecture and security certification, the company that makes the radio announced.

The certifications represent significant achievements for the radio, communication technology and the JTRS program, according to a company statement.

Thales Communications’ JTRS Enhanced Multiband Inter/Intra Team Radio (MBITR), called the Jem, obtained the software communications architecture certification from the JTRS Joint Program Executive Office and Type 1 encryption approval by the National Security Agency.

“Under the government’s Cluster 2 Program, the Thales Jem has successfully passed the complete gauntlet of government testing and evaluation, ensuring that the radio will meet the needs of the warfighter,” said Mitch Herbets, president and chief executive officer of Thales.

Jem’s accomplishments showed that the JTRS software communications architecture can be implemented in a size-, weight- and power-constrained environment without affecting battery life and start-up time. The radio, developed from the company’s MBITR AN/PRC-148 radio that warfighters worldwide use, also provides for the security of voice and data through the top secret classification level, according to the company statement.

JTRS is a radio that acts like a computer and will let warfighters communicate on several frequencies, but the multibillion-dollar program has been restructured because of technology issues. The Defense Department will issue a plan soon on how to best develop and procure JTRS radios that come in different versions for Army vehicles and helicopters, Navy and Air Force ships and aircraft, and warfighters’ handheld and wearable devices.