Rifleman Radio moves into higher production

An Army request to buy up to 13,077 additional Rifleman Radios was approved July 11 by Frank Kendall, the Defense Department's chief weapons buyer, reports Defense News.

Kendall’s move follows a July 2011 Low Rate Initial Production order valued at $56.4 million for the industry team of General Dynamics and Thales to assemble 6,250 Rifleman Radios, the story said.

When soldiers connect the radio to a smart phone device, it serves as the backbone for the Nett Warrior program, which enables warfighters to send voice messages, images and data through the battlefield network, the story said.