Harris Signs $586 Million Deal

Harris Corp.’s radio commun-ications division has boosted the potential value of its five-year contract with the U.S. Marine Corps to $586 million, almost eight times the $75 million deal it negotiated last March.

The Melbourne, Florida-based company said the expanded contract to supply high-frequency radios to the Marines won’t bring a jump in hiring at its RF Communications division in Rochester, which employs about 1,700 people.

In July, the division negotiated a separate $50 million contract with the U.S. Army and announced plans to hire 150 more engineers and technicians. That boost in its work force should be enough to meet the new demand, according to company executive Dana Mehnert.

Harris is now one of the Marines’ primary suppliers of high-frequency radios.

“I think we’ve done a very good job meeting their needs with a very rugged, versatile product,” Mehnert said.

So far this year, the Marine Corps has ordered about 1,400 radios worth $52 million, the company said.

Harris’ radios are certified for the transmission of classified information. They have been used by the U.S. Special Operations Command in the war against the al-Qaida terrorist network.

Harris Corp. employs more than 13,000 people and posted $3 billion in sales in its last fiscal year.