Elbit Systems introduces its new man-pack tactical radio at this year’s Eurosatory exhibition

Building on from the firm’s MCTR-7200HH handheld transceiver, itself part of the company’s E-LynX (sic) tactical radio family, Elbit Systems’ new MCTR-7200MP man-pack transceiver was one of a clutch of new tactical radios launched by a variety of companies at this year’s Eurosatory exhibition being held in Paris between 11 June and 15 June.

The Very High Frequency/Ultra High Frequency (V/UHF) MCTR-7200MP covers a 30 megahertz to three gigahertz/GHz wideband and folds the functionality offered by the V/UHF MCTR-7200HH into a radio which takes the capabilities of the former, and enhances them, company representatives told MONch. The new radio offers improvements in transmission power (ten watts as opposed to the five watts of the MCTR-7200HH). This translates into a longer transmission distance for the MCTR-7200MP of up to a 20 kilometres (10.7 miles) line-of-sight range.

The firm continued that the MCTR-7200MP can run two waveforms simultaneously. While this can also be achieved with the MCTR-7200HH, it requires the addition of a specific mission module. The waveforms accommodated by the MCTR-7200MP include Elbit’s proprietary E-LynX Narrowband which has a channel bandwidth of 25 kilohertz/KHz, although the company disclosed that it has developed a second version of this waveform accommodating a 50KHz channel bandwidth. Also accommodated by the MCTR-7200MP is the E-LynX Narrowband waveform which has a five megahertz channel bandwidth, and the ability to handle up to five megabits-per-second of data. While both these waveforms can run simultaneously on the MCTR-7200MP, Elbit officials told MONch that this can be achieved without any degradation on either waveform.

Moreover, the MCTR-7200MP can equip the company’s MCTR-7200MP-VSSO vehicular adaptor which provides it with up to 50 watts of output. Elbit continued that it is aiming this product at all echelons which require a man-pack high-capacity radio, and in particular special forces which may need to handle high-volume voice and data communications across long ranges. The firm added that it has already secured a Western European customer for the MCTR-7200MP and is delivering several thousands of the transceivers.

Thomas Withington