AN/PRC-148

The AN/PRC-148 Multiband Inter/Intra Team Radio (MBITR) is a widely fielded handheld multiband, tactical software-defined radio, used by NATO forces around the world. The radio is built by Thales Communications, a subsidiary of the France-based Thales Group. The MBITR was developed by the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and Thales Communications in the 1990s and went into production in 1994, addressing the need for a secure multiband handheld radio. It has been more widely deployed with Stryker Combat Teams and with troops deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan. As of August 2007, 100,000 MBITRs have been fielded, over 31,000 of which are in use by the US Army. In accordance with the Joint Electronics Type Designation System (JETDS), the "AN/PRC-148" designation represents the 148th design of an Army-Navy electronic device for portable two-way communications radio. The JETDS system also now is used to name all Department of Defense electronic systems.