Persistent Systems, LLC, a leader in mobile ad hoc network (MANET) technology, announced the expansion of its Advanced Radio over IP (RoIP) capability with support for the L3Harris AN/PRC-163 and AN/PRC-167 radios.
Advanced RoIP on the MPU5 does not replace tactical radios but rather integrates them into the Wave Relay® tactical network empowering soldiers with access to high-powered tactical radios, without the physical burden of carrying them.
“We are trying to accomplish two things here. The first is to leverage technology to decrease the weight soldiers are carrying, while increasing their capability. The second is to automate complexity so that things just work for the warfighter,” said Patrick Murray, Persistent’s Senior Sales Engineer, Army.
With Advanced RoIP, once soldiers connect an MPU5 to a tactical radio, a digital handshake occurs ensuring the two systems are paired up properly. The MPU5 automatically sets the tactical radio’s volume level, audio path, and presets. The MPU5 also monitors the tactical radio to ensure proper RoIP operation if settings are changed during the mission.
The AN/PRC-163, which is on the U.S. Army’s Handheld, Manpack & Small Form Factor (HMS) program, and the AN/PRC-167, are both widely deployed across the U.S. Army. Advanced RoIP enhances interoperability and connectivity – particularly with foreign and partner forces – without increasing soldiers’ size, weight, and power (SWaP) load.
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“Already successfully deployed with the Thales AN/PRC-148E Spear radio, extending Advanced RoIP to the AN/PRC-163 and the AN/PRC-167, two of the most widely deployed tactical radios in the field, gives more soldiers the ability to create a shared communications device within their team or across a broader MPU5 network,” said Murray.
Previously, if a tactical radio’s preset knob were accidentally bumped to the wrong setting or the battery died, the user wouldn’t know that their message was not transmitted. However, with Advanced RoIP, when the tactical radios’ presets are changed, the MPU5 automatically readjusts its settings to match. The MPU5’s text-to-speech feature then notifies the user of the current preset, simplifying what was once a complex process.
“We are enabling the soldier at the edge to become more mobile and giving them the increased capabilities they need to communicate effectively on the battlefield without adding to their existing burdens,” said Murray. “Now, they can focus more on the mission and less on establishing comms.”
Persistent‘s Advanced RoIP offers additional features, including:
- Constant monitoring of the tactical radio’s battery level via the MPU5’s Web Management Interface (WMI);
- Enabling Advanced RoIP with just a single cable, not limiting it to the Tactical Operations Center (TOC) and;
- Continued use of the tactical capabilities of the 163 and 167 with access to the high bandwidth and throughput of Wave Relay® Network.
Advanced RoIP will be demonstrated in the company’s booth (#2629) at the Association for the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting & Exposition, which will be held October 14–16 in Washington, DC, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
SOURCE: PRNewswire