Somewear Labs Won Pentagon Contract for Uncrewed Systems
The firm will supply communication technology to the Pentagon’s Multi-Domain Collaborative Autonomy program.
Updated on Oct. 9, 2026 in Tech — General
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Somewear Labs has received a Pentagon contract to provide secure satellite communications and networking software for uncrewed systems. The project supports the Department of Defense’s Multi-Domain Collaborative Autonomy program, aimed at maintaining data links as network conditions change.
Why it matters
This award accelerates the integration of reliable connectivity for autonomous platforms operating in contested environments. The technology addresses a critical bottleneck in maintaining mission data integrity across shifting network topologies.
The Horizon radio utilizes a low-size, weight, and power (SWaP) architecture designed to handle both line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight communications. The system employs networking software that automatically routes mission data across different networks to maintain connectivity as signal quality degrades.
The players
Somewear Labs
A San Francisco-based developer specializing in low-size, weight, and power communication hardware and networking software for defense applications.
Pentagon
The headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, managing military procurement and advanced research programs.
The details
The Horizon radio relies on a modular communication stack designed to integrate with various uncrewed systems, including aircraft and vehicles. By dynamically switching between satellite and ground-based links, the software ensures that mission data packets remain consistent even when individual network segments experience disruption or interference. This capability was refined through iterative testing cycles with various manufacturers of uncrewed platforms.
Timeline
2026: The company will demonstrate the Horizon radio at the Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting.
The Tech Race
This award marks a significant step for the Horizon radio within the Pentagon Multi-Domain Collaborative Autonomy program. The effort competes with existing proprietary military datalinks, aiming to standardize connectivity across diverse autonomous fleet architectures.
The integration of this radio tech changes how uncrewed vehicles maintain operations in environments where standard communication links are unstable. Industry partners and defense contractors can expect to see wider integration of this software as Somewear Labs scales its support to additional vehicle platforms.
The takeaway
The Pentagon is prioritizing software-defined communication to ensure autonomous fleets remain operational across fragmented networks. Stakeholders should track the 2026 AUSA demonstration for proof-of-concept performance data on the Horizon radio’s beyond-line-of-sight switching capabilities.
What happens next
Somewear Labs is scheduled to host a demonstration of the Horizon radio at booth 516 during the Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting in 2026.
Further reading
For broader trends in military automation, see Tech — General.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Military & Aerospace Electronics.
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