Czech Armed Forces develops modular dismounted soldier system

A Czech soldier during NATO exercise Active Volcano in March 2026. (Army of the Czech Republic)

The Czech Armed Forces (CAF) has initiated development of a new generation (NG) of their dismounted soldier system (DSS), with an emphasis on modularity, scalability and interoperability.

Speaking at the 2026 SAE Media Group Future Soldier Technology conference held in London in March under the Chatham House Rule a CAF official said that the first generation DSS had been developed in three stages from 2012 to 2024, covering different dismounted roles.

He said that the requirement for the NG system was driven by: multiple specialists being equipped with different devices, all of which require power and data connection; the demand for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) data; increased digitalisation; and the lack of interoperability between coalition units seen in exercises.

The CAF has analysed the communications need and, recognising the constraints on the battlespace frequency spectrum, divided the requirement into three segments. First is Command and control (C2), using existing L3Harris equipment. Second is for sensor data. Third the CAF termed a “technological” segment, using mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) with US company Persistent Systems' Wave Relay waveform. “Technological” refers to requirements such as video streaming between vehicles, the official said.