Poste Radio de 4eme Generation (PR4G) VHF system (France), Systems

Development
In the early 1980s the Délégation Générale pour l'Armement (DGA) commissioned a feasibility study for the PR4G system, which at the time was known as the PRF - Future Radio Set. The development phase started in 1986, when the French Government telecommunications research department (SEFT) of the DGA took over programme management. Thomson-CSF (now Thales) was appointed as prime contractor for the overall system and for the development of the manpack and vehicular versions of the transceiver. TRT was contracted to develop the airborne version.Following in-depth analysis by programme management, representatives from the French Army and the prime contractor, system specifications were revised in 1988 achieving a 10 per cent reduction in the cost of the main system elements.On the strength of this reduction in costs and the findings of a new international market study, production start-up was announced in April 1989. In the meantime, Secre, Sextant, CEIS and Elno had been selected to develop the system peripherals. Following the results of technical trials and experiments conducted on prototypes of the manpack and vehicular versions, the DGA awarded the first contract for series production to Thomson-CSF in June 1990.

Description
The PR4G is the French Army's tactical radio communications system. It is designed for a range of applications stretching from use by ground troops to deployment in weapon systems. The PR4G system comprises transceivers, frequency and key management components and operational peripherals. It is protected against listening-in, spoofing, direction-finding or jamming and is hardened against the electromagnetic effects of a nuclear explosion.The PR4G was claimed to be the only system with frequency hopping, free channel search, integrated digital encryption and data transmission functions built into each transceiver.The four different transceivers originally at the heart of the system - manpack, vehicular, hand-held and airborne - all offer alert transmisson, break-in facility, authentication of correspondent, link test, hailing and data transmission protocols.The manpack version (TRC 9200, service designation VS2) weighs 5.3 kg and has an output power of 5 or 0.5 W (10 W optional). The 50 W vehicular radio (TRC 9500) can be fitted to any type of carrier, from light and armoured vehicles, to tanks - the Leclerc in particular - or weapon systems.The manpack and vehicular versions entered service with the French Army in 1992. The PR4G radio set acts as the main support for data transmission for most of the forward-area French Army weapon systems and command networks.The airborne version is primarily designed for the helicopters of the French Army light air wing (ALAT) such as the Gazelle, Puma and Tiger. It weighs <=9 kg (transceiver) and <=1.7 kg (control unit), offers 10, 5 or 0.5 W

The complete article appears in the following publication:
Publication Title Jane's Military Communications
Publication date Mar 15, 2011
Section Systems
Publication synopsis Jane's Military Communications provides all the details you need on the latest advances in communications systems and equipment designed for, and fielded by, armed forces around the world. This authoritative resource contains detailed descriptions of each system's development programme, its operating parameters, how it works in battlefield conditions, its capacity to integrate with other systems, plus, frequencies, transmission rates, dimensions, power supply and environmental performance, giving you the most comprehensive military communications information resource available.
The depth and breadth of information covers
  • Tactical and ground-based communications
  • Terrestrial microwave and tropospheric scatter
  • Naval, air force and satellite communications systems and equipment
  • Line and transmission systems
  • Data, text, audio and facsimile
  • Surveillance and signal analysis
  • Encryption and security
  • Direction-finding and jamming
  • Laser, optical and video
Different sections provide in-depth detail covering
  • Air Force Communications
  • An Numbered Communications Equipment
  • Analysis
  • Audio
  • Contractors
  • Data And Text
  • Designation Of Radio Emissions
  • Direction-Finding
  • Encryption And Security
  • Facsimile
  • Frequency Bands And Designations
  • Glossary
  • Ground-Based Communications
  • Jamming And Miscellaneous
  • Laser, Optical And Video
  • Line And Transmission Systems
  • Naval Systems And Equipment
  • Satellite Systems And Equipment
  • Surveillance And Signal Analysis
  • Systems
  • Tactical Communications
  • Terrestrial Microwave And Tropospheric Scatter

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