The German Armed Forces recently conducted operational tests with Thales PR4G and SYNAPS-H radios, demonstrating their suitability for the multinational Battalion Group deployed by NATO. Over the past year, Thales has successfully delivered radio equipment for the NATO enhanced Forward Presence (eFP), and these four-week operational tests confirmed that Thales radios are both interoperable and secure.
Under the direction of the Army Development Office, the tests involved collaboration with various entities, including the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw), the German Army’s “Test and Trial” teams, and representatives from the Dutch and French Armed Forces. The focus of this procurement was to equip the multinational deployment with modern, encrypted command and control radios capable of electronic counter countermeasures (ECCM). These radios can transmit voice communications alongside data and their own positional information.
“During the four-week operational test, Thales PR4G and SYNAPS-H radios met the requirements so effectively that the system is deemed suitable for introduction into the German Armed Forces. We are very pleased that there are no more obstacles for the operational use of the radios in Lithuania, where the deployed forces will have protected, modern radios.” said Christoph Ruffner, CEO and Country Director, Thales Deutschland.
Notably, the soldiers involved in the tests had not received extensive training—only a brief overview—but they were able to establish operational readiness in under an hour. The radios also demonstrated a stable network connection and performed well in range tests.
The NATO enhanced Forward Presence aims to strengthen the alliance’s defensive and deterrent posture along Europe’s eastern flank. NATO battlegroups are deployed to the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, as well as Poland, led by the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, and the United States, respectively.
