Marines with 1st Tank Battalion perform radio checks on a Harris 117 radio in preparation for exercises aboard USS Makin Island . (US Marine Corps)
US Marine Corps (USMC) programme officials are soliciting industry options on development of a new modular, advanced-architecture combat radio to support tactical command-and-control (C2) voice and data networks.
Service officials issued a request for information (RFI) for the Modular Advanced Radio Architecture (MARA) Small Form Factor radio, to meet the USMC's standing requirement for a new small tactical modular radio.
System requirements include an eight-hour operating span off a single X90 lithium battery, while in support of “manportable and on-the-move capability”, according to the January RFI. Fielded MARA tactical radio systems will utilise a 3U VPX computing core, or a VNS+ variant, with a total operating load of 10 lb, the RFI stated.
Once developed, the new MARA radios will support C2, communications, and fire-support missions carried out by USMC units at the operational and tactical levels. “The MARA will provide tactical edge communications as the radio frequency (RF) transport on tactical voice radio networks and tactical data networks”, service officials noted in the RFI.
The MARA radio will be able to support secure, encrypted voice and data communications up to top secret classifications, the officials added.
The MARA architecture standards on which the new small form factor radio will operate will mimic army's Common Modular Open Suite of Standards (CMOSS) for electronic warfare (EW) and command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C5ISR) operations.
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