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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. And, because SquadNet is manufactured and designed in the UK, it offers significantly higher economic, national security and social value advantages compared to an offshore supplier. 

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? 

The British Army’s 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.

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 and messaging, as well as supporting Battlefield Management Applications such as TAK or SABRE. 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 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.

The best way to safeguard national security is to keep design and manufacturing ‘in house’. With this in mind, Thales can work closely with the MoD - maintaining original design and IP security as well as countering future threats, all onshore in the UK.

UK-owned and controlled crypto keys

SquadNet is designed and built in the UK, meaning it has been developed with UK security standards in mind. The crypto keys can be fully UK sovereign, aligned with UK standards and fully implemented by UK-based engineers.

Operational independence and resilience

The MoD has seamless access to the engineers that designed and developed SquadNet in the UK, as well as to the knowledge-base that supports further evolution of the radio. The MoD can also work on updates directly with Thales’ in-country software engineers, keeping all IP within national borders

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) or foreign export control restrictions on your radios.  That’s not a problem for SquadNet which has its own development road map, run by the UK engineers who can rapidly address any UK specific requirements.

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.

UK engineers can react quickly to new threats 

The UK MoD 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 capabilities unique to the UK, using the SDR platforms to their full potential. Operational issues can also be solved rapidly, and new capabilities brought to the frontline in a timely manner. 

Ready to scale at pace

Because SquadNet has been in use by export customers for several years, our world-leading radio engineering design and manufacturing is already in place. We can scale it at pace as soon as it’s needed by the UK MoD. 

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 the UK MoD, ensuring the British Army product will remain at the cutting edge. 

We have a long-term commitment to the UK and are dedicated to a safer, greener, more inclusive and prosperous society. Our programmes deliver a positive contribution to the communities we work within, as well as the environment and society at large.

Local manufacturing

SquadNet is designed and built in the South of England, with components from UK SMEs around the UK. Buying a UK designed and manufactured product like ours supports high-value and high-skilled jobs in this country, which in turn supports the MoD's commitment to the UK prosperity agenda. 

Investing in the UK

Each year we invest over £575 million into our UK supply chain, working with over 2,000 companies. We are dedicated to research and technology, working with a variety of partners to invest over £70m in R&D in the UK annually.

Building future skills

We understand and value the importance of developing skills for the future, which is why we have over 400 apprentices and graduates across the UK. 

Creating a hotspot for defence communications

The purchase of SquadNet will help the UK defence communications industry continue its rejuvenation, supporting the UK as a centre of excellence for radios and waveform development. SquadNet has sold worldwide, notably to several European NATO ally countries, and is also performing impressively in the US Army SBU programme evaluation. Successful exports ensure the UK MoD has a refined, cutting-edge product, while continuing to support UK jobs and national prosperity.

We designed SquadNet from the ground up, focussing on meeting a soldier’s needs in battle, with an eye to meeting the UK’s wider requirements. It’s already been proven to perform at the highest level in service, while its potential to contribute to the UK, socially and economically, is huge. Peer conflict ready, future-proof and inherently secure, SquadNet will allow the UK MoD to do more, without the burden.

Discover more detailed information about SquadNet including specification and data sets:

Visit the SquadNet main page

Call: +44 (0) 118 943 4500