Harris Corporation has announced a new version of its Falcon II RF-5800V hand-held radio. The very high frequency (VHF) mini-pack combines the RF-5800V with the newly released RF-3161 VHF body-worn dipole antenna, providing users a lightweight radio complement with a communication range rivaling that of VHF manpack radios.

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The VHF mini-pack configuration operates across the 30 MHz to 108 MHz spectrum and is compatible with existing secure voice and data features of the radio, including the embedded Internet protocol (IP) networking, embedded text messaging, GPS automatic position reporting and radio-telephony capabilities.

The RF-3161 body-worn dipole antenna extends the communications range of the VHF hand-held radio without adding a significant amount of bulk to the soldier's equipment. The antenna uses a flexible base that contours to the user's body and allows maximum freedom of movement in tight combat situations. The flexible base also can be bent into a vertical orientation when the soldier is lying in a prone position. The ground-independent nature of the antenna design allows it to be removed from the soldier's back and raised into a tree to achieve even greater range, while the radio itself remains with the user on the ground. Recent field tests conducted with the VHF mini-pack configuration confirmed that the communications range of the 5 W RF-5800V hand-held radio operating with the RF-3161 antenna surpasses that of a 10 W manpack radio operating with a 1.2-meter blade antenna. The improved efficiency and smaller size of the mini-pack means that the dismounted radio operator has less weight to carry while maintaining reliable line-of-sight communications.