British Army to Equip Airborne Troops With MANET-Enabled Tactical Radios

The UK has selected Persistent Systems to equip the British Army’s global response force with an advanced tactical communication system capable of providing voice and broadband connectivity without relying on fixed infrastructure.

Persistent will deliver the Wave Relay system to the 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, enabling frontline soldiers to send messages, track friendly and enemy positions on digital maps, and transmit video and imagery to commanders thousands of miles away.

Wave Relay is centered on the MPU5 Radio, which uses Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) architecture in which mobile nodes act as routers, keeping soldiers connected in complex and highly mobile environments.

Even if one node is destroyed or moves out of range, the network automatically reroutes traffic through other nodes, maintaining connectivity.

Soldiers from the 16 Air Assault Brigade tested the system last year in jungle conditions, where dense, moisture-heavy vegetation absorbs radio waves and makes signal propagation difficult.

Cloud Connectivity

The system is supported by the Cloud Relay gateway, which allows a node to link the mesh network to the internet. It can also connect separate MANET networks in different locations through the cloud, enabling them to operate as a single larger network.

In addition to the MPU5 radio, the package includes rugged displays and controllers, along with associated dismount kit equipment.

“By deploying the MPU5 and Cloud Relay, the 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team will gain a significant advantage in decision-making and coordination across dispersed, multi-domain operations,” Senior Director of Sales and Business Development at Persistent Systems Eve Shapiro said.

“We’ve seen exceptional results with the UK Royal Marines, and we expect similar success as more organizations recognize the operational impact of a resilient, edge-to-cloud network.”