Soldiers from 16 Air Assault Brigade are testing cutting-edge communications equipment that will help the British Army's global response force be more lethal on the battlefield.
Members of 216 (Parachute) Signal Squadron, patrol through swampy water during navigational training in the jungle of Belize.
Members of 216 (Parachute) Signal Squadron, patrol through swampy water during navigational training in the jungle of Belize.
Members of 216 (Parachute) Signal Squadron, patrol through swampy water during navigational training in the jungle of Belize.
Members of 216 (Parachute) Signal Squadron, patrol through swampy water during navigational training in the jungle of Belize.
A Signaller stays in communication with the platoons, observes their location from the operation room during Exercise Mayan Cyclone.
Through Project Cain, the brigade is getting a new tactical communications system. This system will let soldiers on the frontline talk and share information securely with commanders, even from thousands of miles away.
"It will make the brigade more lethal by improving situational awareness."
The brigade’s communications experts 216 (Parachute) Signal Squadron tested the equipment in the jungle in Belize. The jungle is one of the toughest places to test electronic equipment because of the heat, humidity, and thick plants.
How the system works
The new system uses MPU5 radios that connect through a mobile ad-hoc network, or MANET. This is a mesh network that can ‘heal itself’ if connections are broken.
Soldiers can use a tactical smartphone to send messages, show where they and the enemy are on a map, and send videos and pictures to their commanders.
Having better communications between soldiers on the frontline and headquarters means everyone understands the situation better. This helps commanders make faster decisions and better plans, which helps win battles.
Major Ben Salero, Officer Commanding 216 (Parachute) Signal Squadron, said the new equipment would "close the gap between the tactical edge and commanders".
"Communicating over a MANET network means carrying less kit but being able to do more communications by voice and data," he said. "It will make the brigade more lethal by improving situational awareness.
"A MANET network has open architecture, so we can communicate better with our allies by giving them access to our network, and integrate information from other systems, such as drones and electronic warfare equipment, and feed that into a battle picture that everyone can see."
The brigade, which is kept at very high readiness to respond to global crises, will get the new system in early 2026.
Testing in toughest conditions
The jungle is a difficult place to test communications systems. The thick, wet plants absorb radio waves and make it hard for signals to travel. Electronic equipment also needs careful handling in hot and humid conditions.
Maj Salero said: "We've been working with the radios to understand how to use them to best suit our needs, and testing kit in the jungle will give us confidence that it will work wherever we want to use it."
"You've really got to be on top of looking after yourself and your kit, and it's an experience that I've learnt a lot from."
As well as testing equipment, the soldiers learned how to survive and fight in the jungle. They learned to build shelters, find water, navigate, and completed a four-day exercise bringing everything together.
Corporal Harry Umpleby, an information systems engineer, said that to operate in the jungle "you need to very quickly accept being uncomfortable, and just get on with it".
"When you're under the jungle canopy, it's a different world," he said. "Visibility and movement are restricted by all the trees and it's hot and wet, with all sorts of wildlife. You've really got to be on top of looking after yourself and your kit, and it's an experience that I've learnt a lot from.
"Doing our job as signallers is an extra challenge, and we've learnt a lot about the capabilities of the different equipment we're testing."
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