Persistent Systems unveils new MANET capability focused on 5G connectivity

Persistent Systems has adopted gallium nitride technology for use with its MPU5 series of multiple-input multiple-output tactical radios, exploiting the advantages the material offers in multiband coverage. (Persistent Systems)

Combat networking company Persistent Systems unveiled a new connectivity capability that will allow the company's mobile ad hoc networking (MANET) systems to operate on 4G and 5G cellular networks for the first time, Janes has learnt.

Designed to work as a plug-and-play subsystem to the company's MPU5 MANET module, Personal Transport 5 (PT5) system allows for layered connectivity, from local cellular networks to commercial satellite communications (satcom) like Starlink, for dismounted operations, said Ryan Kowalske, vice-president of business development at Persistent Systems.

“A lot of people say why wouldn't you just put [the system] in the vehicle? Problem is that if that vehicle goes away, gets blown up, or moves somewhere else away from the dismount, they no longer have that connectivity,” Kowalske said during a January interview. “Now the individual dismount, even with the loss of that vehicle will have all of that connectivity and capability for themselves” via PT5, he added.

The PT5-enabled MPU5 will operate on the company's new Cloud Relay networking architecture, which is based on the Wave Relay architecture currently on board basic MPU5 systems.

“The strength of [Wave Relay] is it is self-forming, it's self-healing, and scalable to thousands of nodes” organised into a radio frequency (RF)-based local data fabric, Kowalske explained. However, Cloud Relay can interconnect several Layer 3-type data connections through a global data fabric.