Research will test modular transmission systems for robotic control, sensor data and command and control
Germantown, Md. Tuesday, October 13, 2026 — Marconi Technologies has signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) C5ISR Center to develop and test communications systems that keep autonomous platforms and Army command and control networks connected. The work will bring radio, satellite, troposcatter and cellular links together in a modular architecture, so a system can shift to the link that works best as conditions change. The goal is equipment that can be tailored to each mission through a software update or a small hardware add-on, rather than a new system for every job.
The CRADA will explore how Orion's radio architecture, Hunter's SATCOM apertures and Archer's modular design principles can come together in a common transmission architecture. Testing will then assess how these systems can deliver low-latency robotic control, high-capacity sensor offload and resilient command and control as mission requirements and threat conditions shift.
"Autonomous systems and command and control networks both depend on transport that adapts in real time, switching bearers, reallocating spectrum and holding the link as the environment changes," said Alain Cohen, CEO of Marconi Technologies. "Working directly with the Army’s C5ISR Center will move that capability closer to the field."
The work builds on Marconi's existing transport-layer stack and its Orion, Hunter and Archer product lines. Orion is a family of multi-bearer, software-defined radios that connect autonomous systems and soldiers over line of sight. Hunter is a family of multi-orbit, multi-band SATCOM systems. Archer is a modular troposcatter system that sets up in minutes and extends communications beyond line of sight when satellite links are denied.
"The C5ISR Center gives us a rigorous government test environment to validate how modular transmission systems can be adapted in weeks to months as the battlefield changes," said Clif Basnight, vice president of Strategic Technology Adoption at Marconi Technologies U.S.A. "We want to serve as many mission applications as possible without duplicating hardware or adding operator burden."
The agreement extends Marconi's work with the U.S. Army. Archer was recently selected by the Army for secure beyond-line-of-sight communications, and a separate Army effort is prototyping an integrated tactical 5G and long-range backhaul capability using Orion software-defined radios. The CRADA carries that work into autonomous systems, in line with the Army's move toward a hybrid, multi-bearer transport layer under its Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) modernization effort.
About Marconi Technologies
Marconi Technologies is a veteran-run defense technology company with development and manufacturing operations in the USA, Canada, and the UK. Marconi develops and manufactures advanced, dual-use communications systems across the full tactical spectrum, from line-of-sight tactical radios to beyond-line-of-sight troposcatter and satellite communications to empower decision and enable autonomy.