Three American and British mesh radios publish every number. The question is who can switch yours off.
Silvus, Persistent Systems and DTC document their MANET hardware in detail, and that detail deserves respect. What their datasheets also document is the export and authorisation regime attached to each unit.
Our mesh data links are fielded as the link layer under sensor fusion, unmanned systems and command traffic, in contested spectrum rather than on a test range. The topology is self-healing by design, so losing a node degrades the network instead of collapsing it, and the team that installs the network sustains it in region.
Side by side
| Attribute | Represented by UnstratAnti-jam mesh data links | Silvus TechnologiesStreamCaster 4400 Enhanced (SC4400E)1United States | Persistent SystemsMPU5 (WR-5100)23United States | DTC (Domo Tactical Communications), a Codan companySOL8SDR-H2 handheld4United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Network topology134 | Self-healing mesh across units, vehicles and unmanned systems, with no single point of failure | Mobile Networked MIMO (MN-MIMO) MANET | Wave Relay MANET: self-forming, self-healing, peer-to-peer, no master node | MeshUltra, MIMO and standard IP Mesh; also point-to-point COFDM transmitter or receiver |
| Scale13 | Scales from a patrol to a formation without re-architecture; node count not published | 550+ nodes | No limit on hops or nodes; node entry time under 1 second; maximum stated distance between nodes 130 miles | Not published |
| Frequency coverage124 | Not published | Band options from 300 MHz to 6 GHz, dual-band configurations available | Interchangeable RF modules: 2025-2150 MHz, 2200-2507 MHz, 4400-5000 MHz, 5100-6000 MHz | Variants at 320-470 MHz, 1.14-1.50 GHz, 1.67-2.35 GHz, 1.98-2.70 GHz, 4.40-5.00 GHz |
| Transmit power124 | Not published | 1 W, 8 W and 20 W transmit configurations (power draw 8-24 W, 8-43 W and 8-100 W respectively) | 6 W to 10 W; the vendor notes any radio transmitting at 6 W or above is for military or international sales only | 2 W total output power |
| Throughput and latency124 | Not published | 7 ms average latency at 20 MHz bandwidth | 100+ Mbps throughput; OFDM with 64-QAM, 16-QAM, QPSK, BPSK | Under 180 ms latency for video; less than 20 ms for data only |
| Encryption134 | Encrypted; algorithm and certification not published | DES-56 standard, AES-256 optional; FIPS 140-3 Level 2 | FIPS 140-2 certified; CNSA algorithms; over-the-air rekey and two-handed key zero | AES-128 and AES-256 sold as separate licences |
| Anti-jam and spectrum protection1 | Anti-jam waveforms for contested spectrum; techniques not published | Spectrum Dominance 2.0: LPI/LPD, MANET power control, interference cancellation, interference avoidance, protected waveform, spectrum analyser | Not published | Not published |
| Weight134 | Not published | 861 g (short fin) or 1,009 g (long fin), without RF connectors | 391 g, chassis only | 634 g |
| Environmental134 | Not published | IP68, submersible to 20 m for 30 minutes; -40 to +85 degrees C | IP68 to 20 m for 30 minutes; MIL-STD-810G; MIL-STD-461F; -40 to +85 degrees C | Designed to meet MIL-STD-810G; IP68; -20 to +60 degrees C; passive cooling |
| Country of manufacture and export conditions124 | Independent, non-aligned origin, with no exposure to a major-power ecosystem | United States. Datasheet states the device is not FCC-authorised for non-government sale or lease, and exported devices are subject to the laws of the destination country | Manufactured in the USA. Datasheet states export or release to non-US persons may be subject to US export restrictions | United Kingdom, part of the Codan group |
| Integration with the wider force architecture1234 | The link layer under our sensor fusion, unmanned ground systems and command layer, supplied by one accountable team | Web-based StreamScape network manager; 8 presets plus zeroize | Onboard Wave Relay OS running Android applications; integrated H.264 video; Cursor-on-Target compliant position reporting | Dual HD H.264 encoders, SD/HD-SDI, HDMI and composite inputs; Gigabit Ethernet via USB adapter |
Competitor values are quoted from the vendor documents listed under Sources, as published on the date shown. Configurations vary, so treat every row as a starting point for the evaluation rather than a like-for-like test result.
What the table means
The published field is strong, and mostly American
Persistent Systems states no hop or node limit and 100+ Mbps in a 391 g chassis. Silvus documents a 550-node network, 7 ms latency and a named suite of anti-jam techniques. DTC brings a 634 g handheld with dual HD encoders. These are serious radios. They also come with the sentences at the bottom of the page: US export restrictions on release to non-US persons, FCC authorisation limited to government use, licences to be bought before AES-256 turns on. Those sentences are the specification that gets tested on the day your relationship with Washington or London changes.
What we publish, and what we do not
Our mesh links are described as encrypted, anti-jam and self-healing, scaling from a patrol to a formation. We do not currently publish node counts, throughput, latency, bands or weight, and a buyer comparing datasheets line by line will notice. That gap is listed for our own product team rather than filled with a number we cannot stand behind. Ask for the figures under a trial agreement, put our radios and theirs in the same jamming environment, and judge the result rather than the brochure.
Why a link layer is the wrong place for political risk
A mesh network is not a subsystem you can quietly swap later. Sensor fusion, unmanned platforms and command traffic all sit on top of it, so an export freeze on the radios freezes the force. That is the argument for buying the link layer from a supplier with no alliance obligations, sustained in region, and integrated with the same team's sensor-fusion and unmanned systems. Capability you cannot operate during a political disagreement is not capability.
Questions buyers ask
What is the best alternative to Silvus StreamCaster or Persistent Systems MPU5 for a country outside US export arrangements?
Our mesh data links are built for exactly that position: non-aligned origin, no US or European release approvals in the chain, and in-region sustainment. Be clear-eyed about the trade. Silvus publishes 550-node scaling, 7 ms latency and a documented anti-jam suite; Persistent publishes unlimited hops and 100+ Mbps. We do not yet publish comparable figures, so insist on a side-by-side trial before you decide.
How does a non-aligned MANET radio compare with MPU5 on cost of ownership?
The MPU5 hardware cost is only the visible part. Persistent notes that radios transmitting at 6 W or above are for military or international sales only, and that release to non-US persons may be export-restricted, which puts every spare, firmware release and repair inside a foreign licensing process. Our costs sit inside your region: the same team that installs the network keeps it running, with no re-export approval needed for a spare radio.
Do we have to buy encryption as a separate licence?
Not with us. It is worth knowing that with DTC the AES-128 and AES-256 options are ordered as separate part numbers, and with Silvus the standard build is DES-56 with AES-256 as an option. Our links are described as encrypted as delivered. We do not publish an algorithm or certification level, so if your requirement names a FIPS or national standard, raise it with us before contract rather than after.
What happens to the network when nodes are jammed or destroyed?
The topology is self-healing, so traffic reroutes and the loss of a node degrades throughput rather than collapsing the network. That is the same principle Persistent describes for Wave Relay. Where Silvus goes further on paper is in naming specific spectrum techniques such as interference cancellation and avoidance. Our anti-jam approach is not described technique by technique in public, which is a deliberate choice worth discussing under a briefing agreement.
Sources
- 1. Silvus Technologies, StreamCaster 4400 Enhanced (SC4400E) 4x4 MIMO radio datasheetRetrieved: 2026-07-31 · Read directly from the vendor's PDF. Silvus bot protection blocks automated download, so no local copy is kept.
- 2. Persistent Systems, LLC, MPU5 WR-5100 spec sheet, 03EN070 Rev. R (copy held on this site)Retrieved: 2026-07-31
- 3. Persistent Systems, LLC, MPU5 Technical Specifications (product specification page)Retrieved: 2026-07-31 · Source of chassis weight, node and hop limits, node entry time and maximum node separation.
- 4. DTC (Domo Tactical Communications), a Codan company, SOL8SDR-H2 handheld datasheet, 12-20391-EN, Issue 1 (copy held on this site)Retrieved: 2026-07-31