Persistent Systems, LLC announced that the company 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. 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. 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 finance 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.