Tactical Teams Test Mesh Radios and Robot Dogs
Federal field trials in El Paso show research-stage tools for radio dead zones and hazardous entry, with no fielding timeline yet announced.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Robotics
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The Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate ran field assessments in El Paso, Texas, of body-worn mesh radio systems and a quadrupedal robot for tactical use. The work was carried out with the agency's REDOPS and RAPTOR teams and hosted by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations El Paso Special Response Team; the reported findings are preliminary evaluation results, not a deployed capability.
Why it matters
Responders are testing whether mobile ad hoc networks and ground robots can keep communications and reconnaissance working where radio coverage fails inside buildings and where sending people is hazardous. The assessments point toward a procurement pipeline for tactical communications and unmanned ground vehicles.
DHS evaluated mesh radio systems from Persistent Systems and Silvus Technologies against modern land mobile radio gear in indoor and outdoor tests. Testers bridged the two radio types over Radio Over Internet Protocol, but the source does not report measured throughput, range, or robot payload figures.
The players
Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate
The federal research arm that tests emerging technology for homeland security missions, including the SAVER program and the National Urban Security Technology Laboratory.
Boston Dynamics
Robotics company whose Spot quadrupedal robot is the base platform for the RADēCO Cerberus assessed in El Paso.
Persistent Systems
Software-defined radio and mesh networking company whose body-worn MANET systems were evaluated by DHS.
Silvus Technologies
Maker of MIMO-based mobile mesh radios, whose body-worn MANET systems were evaluated alongside Persistent Systems' gear.
The details
Mobile ad hoc networks, or MANET, are radio networks in which each device relays traffic for the others, so coverage grows as more units join rather than depending on a single tower. Land mobile radio, or LMR, is the traditional two-way system used by police and fire agencies. Radio Over Internet Protocol is a method of carrying radio audio over IP networks, which let evaluators link the two systems. The Cerberus is a quadrupedal unmanned ground vehicle built on Boston Dynamics' Spot robot, a four-legged platform that can traverse rough terrain carrying sensors.
Timeline
- December 2025: S&T's National Urban Security Technology Laboratory ran a four-day SAVER assessment of three commercial UGVs.
- October 2026: DHS posted a request for information for its TACTICS tactical communications program on SAM.gov.
- November 3, 2026: DHS announced the El Paso assessments.
The Tech Race
The evaluation places commercial mesh radios from Persistent Systems and Silvus Technologies in direct comparison with incumbent LMR equipment for tactical use. It also extends Boston Dynamics' Spot into a responder-oriented ground vehicle, signaling that government buyers are testing commercial robotics before committing to custom platforms.
Vendors and responders are the first to feel this, as the TACTICS request for information and capability matrix deadline set the path for which tactical radios and robots could enter federal use. Timing for any fielded systems and their pricing is not announced in the source.
The takeaway
Watch the TACTICS capability matrix process and the Nov. 10 Homeland Security Summit for signals on which mesh radios and ground robots advance toward procurement. The next verifiable milestone is the Nov. 4 noon EST submission deadline.
What happens next
DHS set a noon EST deadline on Nov. 4 for submitting technical category 1 capability matrices for the TACTICS program, and the Potomac Officers Club's 2026 Homeland Security Summit is scheduled for Nov. 10.
Further reading
For broader context on machines built for hazardous field work, see Robotics coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Executive Gov.
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