From RIP to LRIP

After a few false starts and re-boots, the Army will soon begin fielding Nett Warrior radios -- smartphone-like communications devices -- to soldiers set to deploy to Afghanistan.

The contractor, General Dynamics C4 Systems, recently received a low-rate initial production contract worth up to $11 million for more than 2,000 Nett Warrior radios, according to a company announcement.

The Nett Warrior, also called the End-User Device, is a ruggedized leader display for dismounted soldiers using the hand-held Rifleman Radio. GD received an LRIP award for 13,000 Rifleman radios in July.

The Nett Warrior program began life several years ago as a 13-pound, wearable network control vest, which was an offshoot of the terminated Land Warrior program. But the futuristic vest configuration -- complete with eye-monocle -- was phased out in favor of a simpler, smartphone-like End User Device design in October 2011.

"Weighing less than two pounds, the secure radio communicates using the Soldier Radio Waveform (SRW) and meets a critical communications need by giving Nett Warrior team members access to the government's classified networks at either the Secret or Sensitive But Unclassified level," according to a Nov. 8 statement from GD. "The low-rate initial production order for 2,052 radios includes engineering support and related equipment and has a maximum potential value of $11 million if all options are exercised. The Nett Warrior Radios are scheduled to begin delivery in the first quarter of 2013."