U.S. Navy awards $3.6 million contract to Persistent Systems

Persistent Systems, LLC, a leader in Mobile Ad Hoc Networking (MANET) technology, was awarded a $3.6 million contract to supply Naval Information Warfare Center, Pacific with MPU5 MANET radios, to be integrated with various US Navy sensors.

These networked sensors will be used for a variety of target acquisition CONOPS as part of an ongoing R&D effort.

“Distributed sensor data collection to support fusion and rapid target acquisition is an excellent way to apply Wave Relay MANET technology against a big Navy problem set,” says Ed Leopold, Persistent’s Director of Business Development, U.S. Navy.

For each Navy sensor, the company will supply two MPU5 networking devices: one mounted on a robot or vehicle/vessel (manned or unmanned) and the other given to the remote operator. The resulting MANET will enable seamless, peer-to-peer sharing of voice, video, text, GPS, and sensor data—all without the need for external communications infrastructure or a vulnerable central node.

“If one particular MPU5 is challenged by a physical obstruction or is operating in a highly RF contested/congested environment, the signal—be it sensor data, a vehicle’s position on a digital map, or an unmanned systems (UxS) command—seamlessly finds another way through the network via another nearby MPU5,” Leopold says. “As a result, the operator always maintains situational awareness of both sensor and robot/UxS.”

Besides this solicitation, Persistent Systems has supported other recent Navy efforts. For example:

• In June, the company supported Tomahawk Robotics on a $55 million contract to upgrade Navy explosive ordinance disposal UGVs. The contract replaced hundreds of radios used to control and communicate with Navy UGVs with MPU5s that have been incorporated into a solution with NSA Type 1 encryption.
• In June-July 2022, Persistent demonstrated the effectiveness of its MANET during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, which saw the participation of 38 surface ships, three submarines, and 25,000 personnel from 26 nations.
• The company’s technology has supported the Navy with its development of unmanned surface and undersea vehicle (USV and UUV) concepts of operations.
  

The continuous involvement of the company in Navy contracts and experiments demonstrates “a high level of confidence the service has in our solutions,” Leopold says.