Belgium adopting tiered approach with SquadNet radios

Thales Synaps (left), AN/PRC-148E Spear (middle), and SquadNet radio (right) on display at the 2023 Future Soldier Technology Conference, with the former and latter being provided to the Belgian Land Component as part of a tiered approach for its infantry. (Janes/Olivia Savage)

The Belgian Land Component is adopting a tiered approach with the SquadNet radios being provided by Thales, Janes has learnt.

Explaining this tiered approach, Matthew Hunt, the head of sales for Thales Land Communications, told Janes on 13 March that soldiers at the lower level of the Land Component, which require a more basic capability will employ SquadNet while the Synaps-H handheld radio will be for commanders. This aims to reduce the cost and complexity while still providing a fully capable communications solution.

A few thousand SquadNet radios are being provided to the Land Component under this approach as part of a Personal Role Radio (PRR) replacement programme. The company is also working on providing various waveforms under the contract, Hunt said.

Ireland has also just contracted Thales for a similar approach involving SquadNet and Synaps radios, he added. He was unable to elaborate on the contract for contractual reasons.

Along with this, the company is planning on pitching SquadNet for the upcoming UK armed forces' next-generation PRR replacement programme, due to be announced in 2025, and a similar project in France, which is expected to see up to 10,000 radios being ordered in 2025.