General Dynamics Mission Systems is set to provide the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with its URC-300E Emergency Transceiver Replacement (ETR) Kits to replace the legacy emergency backup radios.
The URC-300E provides significantly increased performance compared to the legacy PET-2000. The radio supports both Very High Frequency (VHF) and Ultra High Frequency (UHF) bands for civil and military air traffic control (ATC) communications in the event of a catastrophic failure, such as a facility fire or natural disaster.
The URC-300E Transceiver is specifically designed to maximize radio frequency performance and enable users to operate multiple URC-300Es without interference – an advanced capability compared to currently available manpack radios. The close proximity capability enables rapid grab-and-go and multi-channel operation during emergency situations.
This enhanced technology, coupled with the radio’s ability to operate on standard lithium-ion batteries, reportedly makes the radio ‘future proof,’ resulting in significant time and life-cycle cost savings.
A URC-300E ETR Kit contains the URC-300E Transceiver, speaker microphone, headset, AC/DC power converter, antenna, battery housing, and the battery.
The General Dynamics Radio Frequency Products team worked closely with the FAA Program Office in Washington, D.C., the FAA Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City, and the FAA Tech Center in Atlantic City, N.J. to rigorously test the URC-300E Transceiver Kit.
The team successfully passed the FAA’s stringent operational testing gate review process for the URC-300E to enter service within the National Aerospace System (NAS).
The $28 million ETR indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract includes options to procure additional kits throughout the period of performance ending February 2029.
Rachel Oberc, General Dynamics Mission Systems vice president, commented, “The successful development and qualification of these radios represents a true partnership with the FAA as we worked closely together to refine requirements, integrate best available technology, and incorporate critical operator feedback into the design. In passing the FAA’s strenuous certification process and incorporating numerous advancements in the radio, General Dynamics is confident that we have met the mark with the ETR kit.”
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