The Harris Corp. has won a $235 million order with Australia's Department of Defense for its Falcon radios, a Type-1 tactical voice and data communications system.

The contract is for Falcon III AN/PRC-152(C) multi-band, multi-mode handheld tactical radios for portable line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight use.

The Australian army also is acquiring the Falcon II AN/PRC-150(C) manpack, "the world's only type-1 certified HF radio," a statement by Harris said. The unit is specific for when line of sight communication isn't an option.

Australia made the purchase under its Joint Project 2072 Battlespace Communications System-Land program, a multi-phased project to provide an enhanced digital communications capability, primarily for the army, the Ministry for Defense Materiel said.

Under phase 2A, Harris will deliver around 11,000 digital combat radios to replace aging analogue equipment.

The order follows on from the first Harris order under JP 2072, the April 2010 phase 1 deal worth $125 million for similar equipment. The phase 1 order also included some Falcon II AN/PRC-117F multi-band radios and Falcon AN/PRC-152 in vehicular amplifier adapters to support the installation of equipment in more than 1,000 armored vehicles.

In January last year also under phase 1 of JP272, Raytheon Australia received a $70 million contract for the provision of more than 1,000 Enhanced Position Location Reporting and MicroLight radios and associated support.

For the latest contract, the phase 2A deal, Harris said it will support delivery, installation and training for the radios through its Asia-Pacific headquarters opened in Brisbane in October. The office also includes a number of training rooms used for familiarizing military personnel with Harris equipment.

This order expands our ongoing collaboration with the Australian Department of Defense, which is working toward developing a networked Australian brigade in 2013," Brendan O'Connell, president of international business at Harris RF Communications, said.

"Our solutions and proven expertise in tactical communications are making a difference for Australian Defense Forces by delivering voice, video and data across the battlefield," he said. "We're also providing the ADF with world-class field support, highlighted by the recent opening of our regional headquarters in Brisbane."

The AN/PRC-152(C) is a Type-1 certified single-channel multi-band handheld radio that provides voice and data communications over the 30 MHz to 512 MHz frequency range. The radio supports SINCGARS, Havequick II, VHF/UHF AM and FM, APCO P25 and both DAMA and the new Integrated Waveform for satellite communications.

The Falcon II AN/PRC-150(C) is part of the most-widely deployed family of HF radios and the only one to offer NSA-certified Type-1 information security, Harris said. The radio covers the 1.6 MHz to 60 MHz frequency range and comes with a removable keypad and display unit.