Lockheed Martin Procerus Technologies (LMPT) has joined Persistent Systems' Wave Relay Ecosystem, which is an alliance of unmanned platform and sensor manufacturers that use Persistent’s Wave Relay mobile ad hoc network (MANET).

By joining the Wave Relay Ecosystem, LMPT will now offer a version of the Indago 3 UAS that runs on Persistent’s Wave Relay MANET, including the MPU5 radio, to special operators.

“This is a big win for users in the Special Operations community,” says Shane Flint, vice president of Business Development for Persistent.

“The users understand that, to truly network the battlefield, you need a robust, scalable solution that allows for unmanned systems and sensors to operate on a common network, empowering the whole team, and reducing weight on the operator. LMPT’s integration of Wave Relay makes this possible.”

Persistent explains that in a MANET, each radio, be it on the ground or in the air, acts as both a receiver and a relay station. As a result, users can share voice, video, text, sensor and location data without having to depend on fixed communications infrastructure or a vulnerable central hub.

“The Indago 3 not only provides full motion video to the SOF team, but also extends the MANET through its advantaged airborne position over the team,” Flint explains.

Persistent’s MPU5 radio connects to the Indago 3 controller, and the lightweight Embedded Module is integrated inside the UAS. Depending on user's needs, the system is available with either an S-Band or L-Band RF module. 

Quiet and capable of operating in all types of weather, the Indago UAS, which weighs less than five pounds, can be folded for compact transport and unfolded for rapid deployment, as it can be put into the air in just two and a half minutes. The UAS can also stay airborne for up to 40 minutes while carrying a 250-gram payload.

The Wireless Hand Controller, which Persistent describes as “equally tough,” is equipped with a Virtual Cockpit user-friendly mapping interface and powerful mission-planning tools.