Brazil is set to start local assembly of Harris RF Communications tactical communications systems in a follow-up to a $10.7 million deal it signed last year.

Despite no immediate indication of an emerging security threat, Brazil has been building up its defenses to modernize and replace obsolete equipment. Brazil has announced plans to prepare its military for a wider and more challenging role on shared international borders and to protect offshore petrochemical installations.

Harris RF Communications won the order for the delivery of additional Falcon III tactical communication systems, which comprise RF-7800V VHF vehicular radio systems and RF-7800S UHF secure personal radios for soldiers and other security personnel.

The contract involves the supply of radios to the Brazilian army´s center for communications and electronic warfare.

Both the RF-7800V and RF-7800S systems are essential to the army's modernization program, as they will provide secure voice and high-bandwidth data applications, including video combat chat.

The equipment promises to furnish Brazilian armed forces with end-to-end solutions that address requirements for real-time, mission-critical information on the battlefield. In Brazil's case, that's likely to be mostly cross-border drug and people traffic.

The company expects to begin conducting final assembly of the RF-7800S and RF-7800V systems at an existing manufacturing facility in Brazil.

The RF-7800V system can be used in tanks, transport and other vehicles and delivers range, data speeds and throughput that Harris claims are unmatched by any other combat net radio on the market.

The RF-7800S is a wide-band networking radio designed for the emerging demands for voice, data and situational awareness at the soldier level.

"The RF-7800V and RF-7800S will provide Brazil's army with secure voice and high-bandwidth data applications such as video combat chat," Harris RF Communications Regional Managing Director Julio Villafane said.

The RF-7800S is a lightweight soldier system radio that offers full-duplex voice, dual push-to-talk capabilities and data rates up to 256 kilobytes per second. The radio allows simultaneous communication for voice, data and video with listeners over a range of more than 1.2 miles.

Optimized for maximum performance across highly variable environments, the personal role radio provides continuous coverage in the 350-450 MHz frequency range. Harris says it has been adopted as the standardized personal radio platform for multiple soldier modernization programs around the world.

Harris RF Communications has headquarters in Melbourne, Fla., serving government and commercial markets in more than 150 countries. It reported about $6 billion of annual revenue and 17,000 employees worldwide.