SCHUMER ANNOUNCES OVER $22.7 MILLION IN FED FUNDS FOR MID-TIER NETWORKING VEHICULAR PROGRAM FOR 2016; PROGRAM WILL ALLOW HARRIS RADIO IN ROCHESTER TO CONTINUE TO PRODUCE DEVICES TO HELP COMMUNICATION AND COOPERATION AMONG MILITARY SERVICE MEMBERS – PASSAGE IN CONGRESS WOULD SEND LEGISLATION TO PRESIDENT’S DESK

Schumer Previously Urged Fed Appropriators To Fully Fund Program Aimed at Revolutionizing Radio Units for Troops Overseas; Advancements In Military Communication Makes Radio Units a Necessary Resource On Battlefield & On Base 

Schumer Said Companies Like Harris Radio – Which Has Already Been Selected to Undergo Developmental Tests to Produce Radio Units – Must Continue to Produce these Radios which are on the Cutting Edge of Technology for our Troops

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that the Omnibus spending bill – a must-pass bill that funds the federal government through the end of the fiscal year – includes more than $22.7 million in federal funding for the U.S. Army’s U.S. Army’s Mid-Tier Networking Vehicular Radio program in Fiscal Year 2016. Schumer explained that modernizing the tactical network is a top priority for the Army, which is why it’s critical they have the radio units – both stationary and handheld – to allow our troops to better communicate with each other and share information when they are overseas or on base. Schumer said the need to produce these kinds of radios would be a great opportunity for companies around the country, including Upstate New York. Schumer previously urged the Senate Appropriations Committee and Committee on Armed Services to authorize and appropriate funding for the Army’s tactical radio programs for fiscal year 2016.

“Our troops deserve the best equipment to do their jobs effectively and safely, whether that is on the battlefield or back on base. These advanced radio systems – which are made by Harris Radio in Rochester – allow our service members to better share information and communicate with each other,” said Schumer. “The inclusion of this provision in the omnibus bill is another step in this critical process, as it will ensure this worthwhile program is fully funded and will allow Harris Radio in Rochester to continue to produce these systems with local workers now and in the future. I am urging my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers of Congress to vote for this bill so we can send this to the President’s desk – doing so will provide our dedicated men and women in uniform the high-tech equipment they desperately need and deserve and help spur local job growth.”

Schumer explained that the Army’s modernization efforts rely greatly on the planned family of networked tactical radios. The network will provide advanced joint tactical end-to-end networking data and voice communications to dismounted troops, ground, and airborne platforms. Schumer said the network is a key facilitator for the modernization of the Army’s deployable mobile communications system as it will allow for information sharing and communication between mission commanders and deployed soldiers at the tactical edge. Schumer explained that these modernization programs are a top priority for the Army, and thereby national defense. Therefore, Schumer urged the Senate Appropriations Committee and Committee on Armed Services to authorize and appropriate funding for the Army’s tactical radio programs in the National Defense Authorization Act and the Defense Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 2016. In this year’s Defense Appropriations bill, the Mid-Tier Networking Vehicular radio unit, which is manufactured by Harris Radio in Rochester, provides the Army, and Special Operations Command with a family of digital radios that increase interoperability, flexibility, and adaptability to support tactical communications.

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