Boeing Gets $22.7M for CSEL Radios

CSEL Handset Boeing Co. in Anaheim, CA received a $22.7 million firm-fixed-price contract modification for the Combat Survivor Evader Locator (CSEL) full rate production FY06 effort. This includes procurement of the following: 2,645 radio sets; 269 radio set spares; 2,645 prime radio set batteries; 3,876 rechargeable radio set batteries; 240 radio set adapters; 56 radio set adapter spares; and 1,961 rechargeable radio set battery adapters. This work will be complete by March 2007. The Headquarters 653d Electronic Systems Wing at Hanscom Air Force Base, MA issued the contract (FA8807-05-C-0004/P00008). Our April 2005 article “L-3 Subsidiary Under Criminal Investigation Over Radio Units” noted that Boeing subcontractor L-3’s Interstate Electronics Corp. division was under federal criminal investigation, after it supplied defective GPS-related parts used in CSEL emergency radios to locate downed military pilots, special forces, et. al. The article also discussed the events in Bosnia that led to the CSEL program, CSEL’s impressive range of capabilities, some of the other development issues CSEL has faced, and competitors like General Dynamics’ AN/PRC-112B “Hook-112” with QuickDraw et. al.