L3Harris Technologies has secured a $24-million agreement to supply its next-generation AN/PRC-158C NGC2 Gateway Manpack radios for the US Army’s Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) project. The radios will be delivered to the 4th Infantry Division, which will play a key role in upcoming Project Convergence 2026 field trials aimed at testing new network-centric combat capabilities.
The AN/PRC-158C, a specialized variant of L3Harris’s Falcon IV radio family, operates across the 30–2,500 MHz spectrum, offering robust connectivity and modular design. Built on Software Communications Architecture, the system supports multiple waveforms and serves as a tactical network bridge, ensuring seamless communication between soldiers, vehicles, and command posts. Its integration with the MUOS satellite network enables secure, long-range data transfer, fulfilling the Pentagon’s need for high-capacity, encrypted communication solutions.
The NGC2 program represents the Army’s vision of a unified digital ecosystem, merging data across multiple domains into a single, adaptive network. It is structured around four operational layers — transport, infrastructure, data, and applications — designed to replace legacy systems and eliminate isolated data environments. This evolution is intended to enhance command agility and information-sharing in multi-domain operations.
Despite its promise, internal Army assessments have raised cybersecurity and oversight concerns within the NGC2 prototype. A recent memo cited issues such as traceability gaps in data access and code vulnerabilities in third-party apps, underscoring the need for tighter security controls before the system’s full-scale deployment.
