Reticulate Micro, Inc. announced that the Himera G1 Pro small-form-factor tactical radio is now available to the U.S. military market and selective global government customers. Reticulate is the official U.S. reseller for Ukrainian radio manufacturer Himera.
The Himera G1 Pro employs frequency hopping spread spectrum technology resistant to electronic warfare and proven in the battlefield by members of the Ukrainian special operations forces.
Built with users in mind, the G1 Pro features a higher power output, higher bandwidth radio with both a low probability of intercept and low probability of detection.
“Himera’s disruptive commercial radio technology is focused on enabling assured communications in the most challenging environments, to every echelon on the battlefield,” said Joshua Cryer, president and CEO of Reticulate Micro. “We are excited to bring this cutting-edge radio to the world’s most advanced and largest military.”
The G1 Pro weighs 300 grams, compared with typical tactical handheld and manpack radios in the U.S. market that are on average five times heavier at 1.3 kilograms. Weight is only one discriminator. It has an order-of-magnitude improvement in power compared to Himera’s first-generation radio, featuring a long-lasting battery that averages 48 hours of continuous operation.
Himera took frontline input from users to add new features, such as a more powerful speaker, which allows soldiers to better communicate by voice in loud operational environments such as near helicopters. Unlike typical U.S. defense radios, which tend to be bulky and require multiple battery packs during a mission, the G1 Pro is lightweight and with battery life that will support the communication through the whole operation.
“The G1 Pro is the best user experience tactical handheld radio currently in the world – while being more affordable and more scalable than other solutions on the market. It’s a big validation for us as a company to be selling our radios to the most well-funded military in the world,” said Misha Rudominski, co-founder at Himera.
Himera made improvements based on fielded knowledge of the radio from having more than 4,000 active users in the Ukrainian defense forces. “Most existing solutions are built around procurement requirements versus what is best for users. We built it the other way around – offering a product that is primarily made for actual personnel at the frontline,” Rudominksi added.
Military experts at Reticulate Micro anticipate strong pent-up demand for the G1 Pro, with Reticulate fielding Himera’s first-generation radios in exercises last month with the 112th Special Operations Signal Battalion at Ft. Liberty in North Carolina. The U.S. Army installation serves as the home of the Airborne and Special Operations Forces.
“The U.S. military has asked for a low-cost squad radio network for a while. Given that at least one in five U.S. soldiers lack a tactical radio, it’s a need that’s gone unaddressed, with no path to address it because of cost,” said Louis Sutherland, Reticulate Micro’s senior director, Business Development and Tactical market lead. “The G1 Pro makes it more practical for people who didn’t have a low-cost radio to now have one.”
Himera reports positive feedback from early field testing of the radio in the Ukraine. "The Himera G1 Pro radio is a solution that provides reliable and high-quality communication in the face of aggressive enemy radio warfare. The infantry received low visibility on the air and a secure communication channel with the simplicity and affordability of this solution,” stated Matahari, the call sign for the communications platoon commander of the Da Vinci Wolves’ battalion of the 67th Mechanized Brigade in the Ukraine Armed Forces. “We've been waiting for these radios, interacting with the Himera team, and finally we can test them in combat conditions. Modern technical solutions give our soldiers an advantage on the battlefield, and we are satisfied."
The G1 Pro is available now to U.S. military customers with a government baseline price set to ensure best value. Volume government discounts are also available.