The Exelis AN/ARC-201 Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS) System Improvement Program (SIP) airborne radio is a reliable, field-proven voice and data battlespace communications system with networking capabilities.

The AN/ARC-201 is a tactical airborne radio subsystem that provides secure, anti-jam voice and data communication. The integration of COMSEC and the Data Rate Adapter (DRA) combines three Line Replaceable Units into one and reduces overall weight of the aircraft.

Additional features such as improved error correction, Enhanced Data Modes (EDMs) (including packet data), more flexible remote control and Global Positioning System (GPS) compatibility allow the Exelis Airborne SINCGARS radio to assume a number of new roles supporting future digital battlefield requirements.

The AN/ARC-201 is backwards compatible with existing SINCGARS Data Modes (SDMs). The EDMs of the radio employ a Reed-Solomon Forward Error Correction (FEC) technique that provides enhanced bit-error-rate performance. The EDM packet data mode supports packet data transfer from the airborne host computer to another airborne platform, or to the groundbased equivalent SINCGARS system. The radio is Enhanced System Improvement Program (ESIP) waveform compatible and provides voice and data packet retransmission capabilities as well as improved noisy channel avoidance for enhanced Frequency Hopping (FH) synchronization.

RECEIVER CHARACTERISTICS

• Noise figure: 10 dB
• Image rejection: MIL-STD 461A
• IF rejection: 100 dB minimum

TRANSMITTER CHARACTERISTICS

• Power output: 10 watts nominal
• Harmonic suppression: MIL-STD 461A
• Transmitter spurious responses: 100 dB
• Frequency deviation: ± 6.5 kHz

INPUT POWER

• Primary power: 28 Vdc per MIL-STD 704 (<5 Amps max.)

FUNCTION

• 30-88 MHz VHF-FM
• 2,320 channels

TECHNICAL FEATURES

• Jam-resistant communications
• Voice and data
• Automatic retransmit
• Built-in amplitude homing
• Integrated COMSEC
• Integrated Data Rate Adapter (DRA) functions
  • TACFIRE and SINCGARS data modes: 600, 1200, 2400, 4800, 16,000 bps
  • Enhanced packet data modes: 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, RS-232
  • Packet EDM mode is 16 kbps (only RS-423)
  • 1553B bus provides radio control and GPS data input/output
• Built-in Test
• AM-7189A/ARC-compatible
• Six FH presets (including TRANSEC keys)
• Six single channel presets plus manual and cue channels
• Voice and data retransmit in packet
• Improved noisy channel avoidance to enhance FH synchronization
• ESIP waveform compatible
• Situational Awareness (SA)
• Replaces bus radio (RT-1478), DRA (CV-3885) and external COMSEC
• MIL-STD-1553B compatible
• Provides 1553B control of AM-7189A/ARC 40-watt amplifier

INTERFACE CHARACTERISTICS

• Interfaces with the following avionics equipment:
  • ID-1351A homing meter
  • C-16111, C-6533, C-10414 intercoms
  • AM-7189A/ARC 40-watt power amplifier