The AN/PRC-117 translates to "Army/Navy, Portable, Radio, Communication". It is a man-portable, tactical software-defined

combat-net radio In telecommunications, a combat-net radio (CNR) is a radio operating in a network that (a) provides a half-duplex circuit and (b) uses either a single radio frequency or a discrete set of radio frequencies when in a frequency hopping mode. CNRs ...

, manufactured by

Harris Corporation Harris Corporation was an American technology company, defense contractor, and information technology service (economics), services provider that produced wireless equipment, tactical radios, electronic systems, night vision device, night visi ...

(now

L3Harris L3Harris Technologies, Inc. is an American technology company, defense contractor, and information technology services provider that produces products for command and control systems, wireless equipment, tactical radios, avionics and electroni ...

), in two different versions: * AN/PRC-117F Falcon II MBMMR (Multiband Multimission Manpack Radio), also referred to as AN/PRC-117F-MP, covering the 30-512 MHz frequency range, provided without an internal GPS (optionally an external commercial GPS can be connected, or a GPS SAASM as a PLGR (Precision Lightweight GPS Receiver) or a DAGR (Defense Advanced GPS Receiver); * AN/PRC-117G Falcon III MNMR (Multiband Networking Manpack Radio), also referred to as AN/PRC-117G-MP, covering the 30-2000 MHz frequency range, and provided with internal SAASM GPS (optionally an external commercial GPS can be connected). Both radios have

NSA The National Security Agency (NSA) is an intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the director of national intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collection, and proces ...

certification for the transmission of voice and data traffic up to the

Top Secret Classified information is confidential material that a government deems to be sensitive information which must be protected from unauthorized disclosure that requires special handling and dissemination controls. Access is restricted by law or ...

level. In accordance with the

Joint Electronics Type Designation System The Joint Electronics Type Designation System (JETDS), which was previously known as the Joint Army-Navy Nomenclature System (AN System. JAN) and the Joint Communications-Electronics Nomenclature System, is a method developed by the U.S. War Depa ...

(JETDS), the "''AN/PRC-117''" designation represents the 117th design of an Army-Navy electronic device for portable two-way communications radio. The JETDS system also now is used to name all

Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and supervising the six U.S. armed services: the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, ...

electronic systems. The radios are also provided in a vehicular configuration under the AN/VRC-103 nomenclature. The AN/PRC-117 series is notable for its software-defined architecture, which allows for ongoing upgrades and adaptability to evolving mission requirements. Fully compliant with the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) standards, the radio supports multiband and multimission operations across a wide frequency range. The AN/PRC-117G variant is 30% smaller and 35% lighter than the previous models in its class, enhancing portability for dismounted operations. It features Type-1 and NINE Suite B encryption, enabling secure interoperability with US, NATO, and coalition partners. Its removable Keypad Display Unit (KDU) facilitates operation while the radio is stowed, making it effective for on-the-move communication. The AN/PRC-117 can also be deployed in a vehicular configuration under the AN/VRC-103 designation, with mounting systems and integrated communication cases such as the ABP-ITPC-4G-152-250 supporting multi-transceiver setups. The radios are engineered to endure harsh environmental conditions, including shock, vibration, and water immersion. The AN/PRC-117G is MUOS-ready, enabling Beyond-Line-of-Sight (BLOS) satellite communications, and the AN/PRC-117F(C)-HQ includes ground-to-air capabilities with HAVEQUICK I/II support. Multiple power options - AC, DC, and battery - enhance operational flexibility across various mission environments.

Users

The AN/PRC-117F/G radio is currently in use with the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

Seabee United States Naval Construction Battalions, better known as the Navy Seabees, form the U.S. Naval Construction Forces (NCF). The Seabee nickname is a heterograph of the initial letters "CB" from the words "Construction Battalion". Dependi ...

and EOD teams in their

MRAP Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle (MRAPV), also known as MRAP vehicle, is a type of armoured personnel carrier that is designed specifically to withstand land mines, improvised explosive device (IED) attacks, and ambushes to save troops' li ...

and

JERRV A JERRV (Joint EOD Rapid Response Vehicle) is any vehicle that United States Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) units use in war zones such as Iraq. EOD application These vehicles are used to safely transport EOD operators, supplies, and equipme ...

vehicles. The radio is also in use by the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

USSOCOM The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM or SOCOM) is the unified combatant command charged with overseeing the various special operations component commands of the United States Army Special Operations Command, Army, United Stat ...

, United States Coast Guard,

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

,. Beside the US forces it is used by the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

, Dutch Army, Spanish Air Force, British Army, Norwegian Armed Forces, Danish Army,

Croatian Army The Croatian Army ( or HKoV) is the land force branch of the Croatian Armed Forces. It is numerically the largest of the three branches of the Croatian Armed Forces. The HKoV is the main force for the defense of the country against external threa ...

Canadian Armed Forces The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; , FAC) are the unified Military, military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air commands referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Under the ''National Defenc ...

and

German Armed Forces The (, ''Federal Defence'') are the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part consists of the four armed forces: German Army, ...

. The radio is part of an Over-the-horizon Satellite Communications and Improved Dual Command and Control Console system recognized by the US Army as a Top 10 Invention in 2005. The radio has also been embedded in remote mine hunting systems for the

US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

.NDM Article - Navy Mine Hunting System Gets Long-Range Data Link

Specifications

AN-PRC-117G FALCON III manpack radio - National Cryptologic Museum - DSC07959

General

*Frequency Range: 30 MHz to 2 GHz *Presets: 100 (110 including DAMA) *Transmission Modes: FM, AM, PSK, CPM *Tuning Resolution: 10 Hz * Model: RT-1796 (P)(C)/U

Transmitter

*Output Power: 1 W to 20 W *Harmonic Suppression: –40 dBc *Frequency Stability: +/- 1.0 ppm

Receiver

*FM Sensitivity -118 dBm (10 dB SINAD) *Adjacent Channel Rejection 60 dB

Interoperability

Fill device A fill device or key loader is a module used to load cryptographic keys into electronic encryption machines. Fill devices are usually hand held and electronic ones are battery operated. Older mechanical encryption systems, such as rotor machine ...

s: AN/CYZ-10 DTD,

AN/PYQ-10 The AN/PYQ-10 Simple Key Loader (SKL) is a ruggedized, portable, hand-held fill device, for securely receiving, storing, and transferring data between compatible cryptographic and communications equipment. The SKL was designed and built by Ralph ...

SKL (Supports DS-101, DS-102 and Mode 2/3) *Crypto Modes KY-57,

ANDVT The Advanced Narrowband Digital Voice Terminal (ANDVT) is a secure voice terminal for low bandwidth secure voice communications throughout the U.S. Department of Defense. Devices in the ANDVT family include the AN/USC-43 Tactical Terminal (TACTER ...

/ KYV-5,

KG-84 The KG-84A and KG-84C are encryption devices developed by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) to ensure secure transmission of digital data. The KG-84C is a Dedicated Loop Encryption Device (DLED), and both devices are General-Purpose Telegra ...

FASCINATOR A fascinator is a formal wear, formal headpiece, a style of Hatmaking, millinery. Since the 1990s, the term has referred to a type of formal headwear worn as an alternative to the hat; it is usually a large decorative design attached to a band ...

*Radios **

AN/PRC-152 The AN/PRC-152 Multiband Handheld Radio, is a portable, compact, tactical software-defined combat-net radio manufactured by Harris Corporation. It is compliant without waivers to the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) Software Communications Arch ...

AN/PRC-148 The AN/PRC-148 Multiband Inter/Intra Team Radio (MBITR) is the most widely fielded handheld multiband, tactical software-defined radio, used by NATO forces around the world. The radio is built by Thales Communications, a subsidiary of the France-b ...

** AN/PRC-119A/B/G ** AN/PRC-113 **

AN/PRC-77 The AN/PRC-77 Portable Transceiver, also known as AN/PRC 77 Radio Set, is a man-pack, portable VHF FM combat-net radio transceiver manufactured by Associated IndustriesAN/PSC-5 **Other versions of the AN/PRC-117

Interfaces

*External Data:

RS-232 In telecommunications, RS-232 or Recommended Standard 232 is a standard introduced in 1960 for serial communication transmission of data. It formally defines signals connecting between a ''DTE'' (''data terminal equipment'') such as a compu ...

MIL-STD-188 MIL-STD-188 is a series of U.S. military standards relating to telecommunications. Purpose Faced with "past technical deficiencies in telecommunications systems and equipment and software…that were traced to basic inadequacies in the appl ...

-114A *

Remote control A remote control, also known colloquially as a remote or clicker, is an consumer electronics, electronic device used to operate another device from a distance, usually wirelessly. In consumer electronics, a remote control can be used to operat ...

RS-422 RS-422, also known as TIA/EIA-422, is a technical standard originated by the Electronic Industries Alliance, first issued in 1975, that specifies the electrical characteristics of a digital signaling circuit. It was meant to be the foundation ...

* Antenna ports: Separate VHF, VHF-HI/UHF *Audio: Six-pin Standard *Power: Two BA-5590, BB-390A/U, BB-2590, or BB-590 batteries

Physical Dimensions

*AN/PRC-117G **3.7H x 7.4W x 8.8D in. (w/o battery case) **Weight 8.2 lbs (without batteries) ***12 lbs with batteries

Environmental

*Temperature: -40 °C to 70 °C *Immersion: 1 Meter *Test Method:

MIL-STD-810 MIL-STD-810, U.S. Department of Defense Test Method Standard, Environmental Engineering Considerations and Laboratory Tests, is a United States Military Standard that specifies environmental tests to determine whether equipment is suitably desig ...

E *Finish: CARC

Green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a com ...

Key Features

*Removable keypad display unit *Full numeric keypad * NVG compatible display *External

GPS The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based hyperbolic navigation system owned by the United States Space Force and operated by Mission Delta 31. It is one of the global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) that provide geol ...

DAGR Dagr (Old Norse 'day')Lindow (2001:91). is the divine personification of the day in Norse mythology. He appears in the ''Poetic Edda'', compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the ''Prose Edda'', written in the 13th cen ...

, PLGR, and

NMEA 0183 NMEA 0183 is a combined electrical and data specification for communication between marine electronics such as echo sounder, sonars, anemometer, gyrocompass, Self-steering gear, autopilot, GPS receivers and many other types of instruments. It has b ...

compatible * MELP

Waveforms

Line of Sight

* VHF/

UHF Ultra high frequency (UHF) is the ITU designation for radio frequencies in the range between 300 megahertz (MHz) and 3 gigahertz (GHz), also known as the decimetre band as the wavelengths range from one meter to one tenth of a meter ...

AM/ FM *

SINCGARS Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS) is a VHF combat network radio (CNR) used by U.S. and allied military forces. In the CNR network, the SINCGARS’ primary role is voice transmission between surface and airborne comman ...

ECCM * HAVE QUICK II ECCM *ANW2 - Advanced Networking Wideband Waveform (Harris) *SRW Soldier Radio Waveform *NATO SATURN waveform, per NATO STANAG 4372 - optional

SATCOM

-181-B/C *

-182-A *

-183-A/B *Integrated Waveform (IW) * High performance waveform (HPW) optional *

Mobile User Objective System The Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) is a United States Space Force narrowband military communications satellite system that supports a worldwide, multi-service population of users in the ultra high frequency (UHF) band. The system provides ...

(MUOS) - optional

References

External links

* {{L3Harris Technologies Military radio systems of the United States Military electronics of the United States Military equipment introduced in the 2000s Communication Systems of Bundeswehr