JTRS sales could hit $20B

Boeing Co. and the Army will start early operational assessment of the Joint Tactical Radio System by December, a Boeing official said.

Boeing and its partners are on schedule to start delivering limited-production radios to the Army next year, said Ralph Moslener, Boeing project manager.

If the project goes as planned, the Army could spend $20 billion on radios over 25 years.

JTRS is a major element in the Defense Department's network-centric operations initiative. The radios will support multiple waveforms, letting joint forces communicate using a single, upgradeable device.