SCHUMER ANNOUNCES $12 MILLION ARMY ORDER FOR HARRIS MANPACK RADIOS; WORK WILL BE A BIG SHOT IN THE ARM FOR THE FINGER LAKES’ ECONOMY AND WILL ENHANCE TROOP COMMUNICATION

This Fed Investment Is Critical To Growth Of Rochester & Harris Radio

Schumer: This Is A Win-Win For Our Troops, Harris, And the Finger Lakes’  Economy 

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer announced today that Harris Corp. in Rochester New York received a $12 million order from the U.S. Army to deliver 100 manpack radios.

“This well-earned, $12 million order will support jobs at Harris Radio, in addition to boosting the entire Rochester-area economy. Harris Radio has proved time and time again that they can make superior radios for the U.S. military and our allies around the world,” said Senator Schumer. “Their radios are durable, dependable, and innovative, which means they have a long useful life to support some of the toughest missions around the globe. ”

Schumer has long fought to keep Harris Corp. and its local subsidiary in Rochester by advocating for their programs during the Congressional appropriations process and working the Department of Defense to ensure producers like Harris had an even playing field to compete for the major Joint Tactical Radio System radios contracts. In June, Schumer announced that Harris was awarded a contract worth $255 million through the U.S. Special Operations Command; the contract would be used to manufacture two-channel manpack radios for the United Station Special Operations Units and for American allies.  Schumer visited Rochester in March 2016 to announce a major push to secure new federal investment opportunities. During his March 2016 visit, Schumer also celebrated the Army’s selection of Harris in February 2016 as one of three suppliers for the U.S. Army’s 10-year $12.7 billion Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) “Manpack” radio contract. In addition, in June of 2016, Schumer announced that Harris had received a $1.7 billion contract to manufacture  radios from Harris’s RE-7800 family of tactical radios. In 2015, Schumer helped Harris bring a new SINCGARS Radio Manufacturing Line to Rochester. The “SINCGARS” manufacturing line was officially installed at the Jefferson Road facility in Rochester in 2016 and it supports 150 local jobs.

Harris moved this line to Rochester with the support of Schumer and local lawmakers after Harris’ 2015 acquisition of Exelis.

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