Billions At Stake As Army Opens Competition For Rifleman Radio

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http://defense.aol.com/2012/10/22/billions-at-stake-as-army-opens-competition-for-rifleman-radio/




Billions At Stake As Army Opens Competition For Rifleman Radio
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
Published: October 22, 2012

WASHINGTON: The Army took a major step today towards opening up a major radio program to full and open competition, issuing a formal Request For Information today asking industry's input on the Rifleman Radio program.

The hand-held Rifleman Radio and the backpack-sized Manpack Radio are the last survivors of the highly ambitious, deeply troubled, and now largely cancelled Joint Tactical Radio Systems (JTRS) program to build new digital radios for all the armed forces. Both radios are now in what's called "low-rate initial production" (LRIP): The Army has ordered 3,726 Manpacks from General Dynamics for more than $250 million and 19,327 Rifleman Radios, half from GD and half from Thales.

Before either radio goes to full-rate production, however, the Army plans to open them to "full and open competition" in which any industry vendor is welcome to take on the incumbents now doing LRIP -- something which lobbyists tried and failed to forestall earlier this year.

This unusual approach is about exploiting opportunities, not about any lack of confidence in General Dynamics or Thales, Army officials insisted to AOL Defense.