Boeing Awarded CSEL Upgrade Contracts

Boeing has been awarded contracts to upgrade US Air Force Combat Survivor Evader Locator (CSEL) handheld radios and ultrahigh frequency (UHF) base stations with new capabilities to enable faster search and rescue of isolated personnel. The contracts, valued at $13.6 million, were announced on 18 January.

CSEL is a fully qualified, next-generation survival radio system is comprised of over-the-horizon relays, ground, and user equipment segments for the US joint services. The system is designed to minimise the search aspect of a rescue mission by providing recovery forces with precise geo-positioning information and secure, over-the-horizon and line-of-sight, two-way data communications capabilities.

These capabilities allow recovery forces to locate, authenticate, and communicate with isolated personnel in near real-time, anywhere in the world. More than 54,400 CSEL radios have been delivered to the US military to date.

According to Boeing, upgrading the CSEL UHF base stations will bring the CSEL network up to the latest Information Assurance standards that protect networks from outside intrusion.

Steve Capps, Boeing CSEL program manager, said: ‘These new contracts confirm that Boeing is meeting our commitments to provide our military customers with world-class, next-generation communications capabilities. CSEL provides the US military with the strategic advantage of an easy-to-use, multifunction radio that has already played a critical role in numerous successful rescues involving downed combat forces and pilots.’