Kenwood Teases Lighter Way to Carry Its Viking® VP8000 Ahead of IACP 2026 Reveal

EFJohnson to unveil its answer to first responders’ most frequent request at Booth 1001 in Orlando on Monday, 26 October

KENWOOD, through its EFJohnson brand, is set to unveil a new product at IACP 2026 in Orlando on Monday, 26 October 2026, building on the success of the KENWOOD Viking® VP8000 multi-band, multi-protocol mission critical portable radio. The cover will come off at 11:00 at EFJohnson Booth 1001.

The company has framed the launch around a single question: how can an already successful radio be made even better to carry? According to KENWOOD, this has been the most frequent request from chiefs, investigators and first responders who carry their radios throughout their working day since the Viking VP8000 entered the market.

The Viking 8000 series was designed specifically for today’s public safety agencies, combining multi-band coverage, multi-protocol operation and advanced features in a single portable. For users who wear a radio for an entire shift, however, comfort and portability are as important as capability, and the forthcoming announcement appears to be the company’s direct response to that feedback.

KENWOOD has not yet released any details of the product itself, preferring to keep the reveal for the show floor. In its pre-show announcement, the company addressed its user community directly, stating that it had listened to their requests and would demonstrate its response in Orlando.

The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Annual Conference and Exposition is one of the most significant gatherings for the law enforcement community, making it a fitting stage for a product shaped by feedback from police leadership and frontline officers.

Visitors to IACP 2026 wishing to see the new product first-hand are invited to attend the unveiling at EFJohnson Booth 1001 at 11:00 on Monday, 26 October. The Critical Communications Review will report on the product details following the reveal.