Capable, compact and conflict ready
SquadNet® is a compact yet highly capable soldier radio. Its small unit size, light weight, low battery consumption, ease of use and minimal logistic footprint all help to reduce the soldier’s burden. Yet it still offers all the voice, location and data capabilities necessary for today’s conflict and provides outstanding performance, easily surpassing the range of other soldier radios.
SquadNet’s adaptable waveforms make it harder for the enemy to detect and locate users, increasing soldier survivability and mission success.
In short, SquadNet has all the capability required to answer the most vital operational questions: Where am I? Where are my friends? Where is the enemy? What are my orders?
A future soldier radio must enable better and quicker decisions with increased coordination and reduced risk. SquadNet meets all these requirements and more without imposing a disproportionate burden on soldiers, whether in operation, carriage or logistics.
Reducing the soldier burden
SquadNet’s compact size and weight mean that a radio, with three swappable batteries, will provide 72 hours mission life, while weighing just 450 grams. By comparison, some soldier radios require nine batteries for the same duration and can weigh up to 1.5 kilograms more - that’s the equivalent of two 30 round 5.56mm rifle magazines, or 30 Mars bars. On the move charging is also simplified as power can be scavenged from any USB-equipped power source, such as laptops or portable solar panels, extending the radio’s mission life. A built in GNSS receiver provides the position of the radio, which users can read on SquadNet’s screen. Team members with a connected end user device know the position of all team members as the position of each radio is shared with everyone.
Fully prepared for peer conflict
SquadNet has a narrowband MANET waveform, which provides voice, positional location information and data. This waveform is much harder to detect and jam than the wideband waveforms used by other radios, yet provides the performance, range and networking capabilities soldiers need.
Data services provided by SquadNet include shared situational awareness, targeting, messaging, text and pictures, as well as supporting Battlefield Management Applications such as TAK or SABRE running on an Android Device wired or Bluetooth connected to the radio. All services are available in fixed frequency or, if the threat is more sophisticated, frequency-hopping modes with no degradation in performance.
Unparalleled communication at range
It may be compact, but SquadNet has enough range to work either within a tiered network structure or in a flat network configuration. For example, a full flat company network was demonstrated using 120 radios over 20km2 on the UK’s Salisbury Plain Training Area – and SquadNet’s network can be bigger.
Its unique narrowband MANET waveform means SquadNet often easily outperforms the range of much higher power radios without the need for its MANET hops. This means users are not constrained by the need for a minimum number of nodes or having to optimise radio locations on the ground.
Proven reliability in the field
SquadNet offers an exceptionally high and proven MTBF (Mean Time Before Failure) compared to other radios. It has demonstrated this with thousands of radios deployed operationally in the past few years.
Security is built into SquadNet as standard. Its’ hardware architecture meets exacting security requirements and all voice, data, and position location information is AES encrypted. SquadNet has a unique ability to share information over IP networks, and this data is also encrypted end-to-end.
Much of the communications equipment in service today has evolved very little since its original purchase many years ago. This is not a realistic way forward in a world where the ability to react quickly to new challenges and threats is essential for operational advantage. This is hard to do when there are International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) restrictions on your radios. That’s not a problem for SquadNet which has its own development road map, run by engineers who can rapidly address customer’s specific requirements, unencumbered by ITAR regulations.
Flexibility of software defined radio (SDR)
An SDR allows new functionality to be added throughout the radio’s life. For instance, it is possible to upload: a dedicated data feed to support soldier HUMS (Health and Usage Monitoring Systems); an over the air command to silence all the radios; or an adapted waveform to cut through a new electronic warfare threat. All these updates can be (and have been) carried out through software changes. We are developing various waveforms that allow customers to address specific operational requirements. A recent new waveform took just a few months from design to being fielded operationally.
React quickly to new threats
Our customers can work quickly and directly with SquadNet’s UK engineering team to optimise the waveform, services and performance as required. We’re always open to discussion on how to deliver and evolve the radio’s capabilities, using the SDR platform to its full potential. Operational issues can also be solved rapidly, and new capabilities brought to the frontline in a timely manner.
Support and ongoing development assured
SquadNet is already successfully in service with several military users worldwide, so support, hardware obsolescence resolution and further evolution are all assured. These services are available to new SquadNet users, ensuring their product will remain at the cutting edge.
We are dedicated to creating safer, greener, more inclusive world. Our programmes deliver a positive contribution to the communities we work within, as well as the environment and societies at large.
Our approach is focussed on achieving net zero emissions by 2040; increasing the percentage of women on our management boards; continuing to meet the highest ethical standards; and ensuring the continued prioritisation of the health and safety of our employees. These objectives form the basis of our ESG action plan on our road to building a future we can all trust.
SquadNet is a Registered Trade Mark of Thales UK Limited in the UK and in various jurisdictions around the world
Discover more detailed information about SquadNet including specification and data sets:
Visit the SquadNet main page
Call: +44 (0) 118 943 4500