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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Boeing announced a $13.6 million set of contracts on January 18, 2013, to upgrade U.S. Air Force Combat Survivor Evader Locator (CSEL) handheld radios and ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) base stations. The stated aims were more precise location information, faster rescue, and updated information-assurance capabilities at base stations; Boeing’s announcement did not quantify achieved results. Boeing’s January 18, 2013 announcement
What did Boeing announce in 2013?
The contracts covered two parts of the CSEL system: handheld radios used by isolated personnel and UHF base stations. Boeing said the upgrades would improve locator precision and reduce rescue time. It also said the base-station work would bring the network up to the latest Information Assurance standards at the time.
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Those were program goals, not measured outcomes. The announcement supplied no numerical estimate for a reduction in rescue time, no independent performance evaluation, and no before-and-after locator-accuracy results.
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What is the Combat Survivor Evader Locator?
CSEL is a military personnel-recovery communications and locator system, not a consumer tracking beacon. Boeing’s 2014 descriptions identify handheld radios, over-the-horizon or satellite relays, and ground and user equipment. Its April 2014 release described four global base stations. The system was used for search-and-rescue operations by the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy, according to Boeing’s February 3, 2014 announcement.
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A later Department of Defense budget document for FY2023 described CSEL as a joint-service program led by the Air Force and then in sustainment. It identifies the handheld radio as the AN/PRQ-7 and refers to related equipment including an adapter, GPS antenna and coupler, and planning-computer equipment. The document also describes funding for a next-generation Combat Search and Rescue system intended to replace legacy CSEL. That FY2023 description does not establish a later award, transition date, or present fielding status.
How did the 2013 upgrade fit into later program activity?
| Date and source | Activity | What was stated |
|---|---|---|
| January 18, 2013; Boeing announcement | Upgrade contracts valued at $13.6 million | Handheld-radio and UHF base-station upgrades, with stated goals of improved locator precision, reduced rescue time, and updated base-station information assurance. These were aims, not reported measured outcomes. |
| February 3, 2014; Boeing announcement | $24 million contract for 2,550 additional radios | Delivery was scheduled for 2014 and 2015. Boeing separately noted contracts to enhance global base-station capabilities and information security. |
| April 24, 2014; Boeing announcement | $32.5 million, four-year logistics contract | Maintenance, engineering, training, and support for CSEL. |
| FY2023; Department of Defense procurement budget document | Sustainment and planned next-generation replacement | Described CSEL as in sustainment and funding for a next-generation CSR system intended to replace legacy CSEL. Later award and fielding status are not established by this dated document. |
The contract values and radio quantity are historical procurement figures, not performance statistics. They also refer to separate program actions, not a single continuous $80.1 million upgrade contract.
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What did officials say about the upgrade?
Boeing CSEL Program Manager Steve Capps described the contracts as evidence that Boeing was meeting commitments to provide military customers with communications capabilities. He also characterized CSEL as a multifunction radio that had played a critical role in successful rescues. Air Force Lt. Matthew Renner, whom Boeing identified as a former CSEL test engineer, said the new capabilities could reduce rescue time and provide another option for isolated personnel. These comments appeared in Boeing’s announcement and should be understood as statements from participants, not independent verification of performance.
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What is known about CSEL’s current successor?
The FY2023 Department of Defense budget document is the most recent program-status evidence in the sources cited here: it says legacy CSEL was in sustainment and describes an intended next-generation CSR replacement. It does not confirm whether that replacement subsequently received an award or entered service. Therefore, neither a current transition date nor the present operational status of a successor can be stated from this information alone.
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