SINCGARS (Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System) is a Combat Net Radio (CNR) currently used by U.S. and allied military forces. The radios, which handle voice and data communications, are designed to be reliable, secure and easily maintained. Vehicle-mount, backpack, airborne, and handheld form factors are available.
SINCGARS uses 25 kHz channels in the VHF FM band, from 30 to 87.975 MHz. It has single-frequency and frequency hopping modes. The frequency-hopping mode hops 111 times a second.
The SINCGARS family has mostly replaced the Vietnam-war-era synthesized single frequency radios (AN/PRC-77 and AN/VRC-12), although it can work with them. An aircraft radio SINCGARS is phasing out the older tactical air-to-ground radios (AN/ARC-114 and AN/ARC-131).
Over 500,000 SINCGARS radios have been purchased.[1] There have been several system improvement programs, including the Integrated Communications Security (ICOM) models, which have integrated voice encryption, the Special Improvement Program (SIP) models, which add additional data modes, and the Advanced SIP (ASIP) models, which are less than half the size and weight of ICOM and SIP models. In 1992, the U.S. Air Force awarded a contract to replace the AN/ARC-188 for communications between Air Force aircraft and Army units. SINCGARS is expected to be replaced starting in 2008 with the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS), a software-defined radio that will work with SINCGARS, HAVE QUICK and other existing radios.
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Unit Replacement Cost: $6,500.