Royal Marines Fully Field Persistent MPU5 Radios Empowering the UK Commando Force Modernization Initiative

• Royal Marines field 2,000+ MPU5 radios, entering a new phase of large-scale operational deployment and collaboration with allied forces
• Wave Relay® MANET technology creates a global communications fabric, enabling the Royal Marines to dominate in contested environments

Persistent Systems, LLC (“Persistent”), a leader in mobile ad hoc network (MANET) technology, announced that the UK Royal Marines have now fully fielded over 2,000 MPU5 radio systems in support of their UK Commando Force (UKCF) transformation. This marks a significant step in the Royal Marines’ move toward a more agile, technology-enabled expeditionary force.

MPU5 radios, running the Wave Relay® MANET, now form a highly scalable communications fabric uniting warfighters, unmanned systems, sensors, vehicles, and command posts. This deployment enables the Royal Marines to operate with greater autonomy, speed, and lethality in contested electronic warfare (EW) environments.

The Royal Marines are divesting from legacy government-only systems and embracing commercial, non-ITAR defense technology. This makes their force more interoperable with allies and places the UK at the forefront of multinational collaboration.

“True interoperability is about more than just working with allies. It’s about uniting every Marine, every vehicle, and every sensor into a single resilient network,” said Eve Shapiro, Senior Director of Sales and Business Development at Persistent. “With the Wave Relay MANET, the Royal Marines can execute complex, distributed operations while maintaining constant connectivity and situational awareness.”

The UKCF represents the most significant modernization of the Royal Marines since WWII, aimed at creating a globally deployable, autonomous littoral force. It emphasizes small, lethal teams, unmanned and AI-enabled systems, and networked C4ISR capabilities.

The MPU5 rollout, awarded to Persistent’s UK partner & distributor, Steatite Ltd., which includes handheld units and vehicle kits, supports UKCF’s operational demands across land, sea, and unmanned domains. Integration with platforms like all-terrain vehicles and unmanned systems enables uninterrupted connectivity regardless of terrain or mission set.

This entry was posted
on Thursday, October 30th, 2025 at 08:00 and is filed under Comms, Contracts, International, Press Release.
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