Tactical Radio
Capabilities
Optical Zonu offers a variety of electrical-to-optical building blocks that may be integrated into tactical radio systems to extend radio to antenna separation to distances that are both convenient and safe for radio operators. Tactical systems generally are specialized radios that are designed for military or law enforcement use, built to withstand harsh conditions and provide secure communication in critical situations on the battlefield, often featuring encryption and advanced capabilities to minimize enemy interception and interference; essentially, a ruggedized radio built to military specifications for reliable communication in demanding environments.
Optical Zonu provides small OEM optical converters that may be integrated into existing radio terminals to provide fiber interfaces. Optical Zonu also integrates optics and RF signal management into 19” chassis for rack deployments. Benefits of fiber transport for tactical radio deployments are as follows.
Remote Antenna Placement
- Use OZC’s RFoF to separate mesh radio units from their high-mounted antennas. Ideal on ships, towers, masts, or remote vehicle racks.
- Critical in EMCON-sensitive operations, improving both safety and signature management.
- Multi-Radio Co-Site Isolation
- When TrellisWare, Persistent Systems, or Silvus radios are co-located with other emitters (e.g., SATCOM, SINCGARS, EW), RFoF provides RF isolation and minimizes intermodulation/interference.
Multi-Band Isolation & Co-Site Support
- Mesh nodes often share space with SATCOM, EW, or legacy radios. OZC’s RFoF provides isolation to reduce interference and ensure signal integrity across multiple bands (UHF–C/S-band).
Platform Integration
- NAVSEA ships, USMC amphibious platforms, and UAV launch nodes can use OZC’s RFoF to support multi-node mesh comms without sacrificing layout or cable runs.
- Works across VHF/L-band-compatible with TSM (225–2600 MHz) and Silvus (UHF to 6 GHz).
UAV/USV Integration
- For airborne or sea drone deployments, fiber-based RF delivery allows placing radio units safely away from EMI-prone areas – preserving high-throughput COFDM links for video and sensor data while the antennas remain optimized.
Scalable Network Expansion
- With modular RF systems, OZC can serve vehicles, shelters, or unmanned nodes, offering a plug-and-play RFoF link across the Wave Relay (Persistent Systems) ecosystem, avoiding long coax runs and enabling flexible configuration across domains
Hardened Infrastructure
- RFoF supports remote radio operation inside protected shelters while placing the antenna in ideal line-of-sight (LOS) positions.
- Great for base defense, TOCs, airfield mesh nodes, and underground/bunker expansion.