This is Paper A of the C02 note on tactical and military radios - the handheld, two-channel leader, manpack, vehicle-mounted and base-station transceivers that connect dismounted soldiers, vehicles, aircraft, sensors and unmanned systems. It answers the first engineering question a battery supplier is asked: how does a tactical radio actually work, what makes it different from a civilian two-way radio, and what electrical load does the pack see across a mission. It walks through the software-defined radio architecture and the frequency bands, the electronic-protection measures built around frequency hopping, the wideband mobile ad hoc networks that carry video and data, the cryptographic chain, and the three-state power profile, then closes with an honest statement of where sealed nickel-metal-hydride fits. Paper B converts this profile into cell count and capacity, and Paper C into the test and certification evidence. The numbers quoted are published manufacturer and service values used as illustrative anchors, and every worked figure is labelled as such rather than presented as a universal specification.
Key fact 1. A tactical radio is a software-defined transceiver, not a fixed-function walkie-talkie. Following the Software Communications Architecture inherited from the Joint Tactical Radio System, waveforms are loaded as software, so the same hardware can run narrowband voice, frequency-hopping, wideband networking and satellite modes. The fielded form factors are handheld, two-channel handheld leader radios, manpack, vehicle-mounted and base-station, plus small form-fit personal radios. Two representative fielded types are the AN/PRC-152 single-channel multiband handheld covering 30-512 MHz with power up to 5 W, and the AN/PRC-163 two-channel radio with about 30-512 MHz on channel 1, UHF SATCOM including MUOS-related modes, and wideband MANET waveforms.
Key fact 2. Electronic protection is built into the waveform. Frequency-hopping spread spectrum moves the carrier across many channels so a fixed-frequency jammer or intercept receiver cannot lock onto one channel; reported military hop rates run roughly 100 to 10,000 hops per second. SINCGARS, the ground combat system in the VHF 30-88 MHz band, hops about 100 times per second across 2,320 channels in its standard mode, while HAVE QUICK II and the second-generation SATURN serve the UHF 225-400 MHz military airband. Hopping requires a loaded transmission-security key, and the voice content is separately encrypted.
Key fact 3. Modern tactical networks are wideband mobile ad hoc networks. A MANET is self-forming and self-healing with no fixed base station, and every radio can relay traffic for other nodes, which matters in urban, subterranean and mountainous terrain. The Soldier Radio Waveform and Wideband Networking Waveform cover the soldier and vehicle tiers, while proprietary waveforms such as TrellisWare TSM with Barrage Relay and Persistent Systems Wave Relay/ANW2 extend the mesh to sensors and unmanned systems. As a published datasheet anchor, the MPU5 MANET radio lists maximum transmit consumption of 40 W, receive consumption of 1.9 W and standby consumption of 0.15 W.
Key fact 4. Security is a separate, certified chain. NSA Type-1 cryptographic equipment is approved to protect classified information and is controlled as a Controlled Cryptographic Item, with keys loaded through fill devices; communications-security keys protect the content while transmission-security keys protect the hopping. Modern approved algorithms include AES-256 in validated modules, and inline network encryptors protect IP traffic at the network layer. Non-Type-1 radios exist for sensitive-but-unclassified missions, so the radio class is matched to the information it carries rather than assumed.
Key fact 5. The power ecosystem is mixed and platform-specific. Primary packs such as the BA-5590 use lithium sulfur-dioxide chemistry for long shelf life, while rechargeable packs such as the BB-2590 use lithium-ion with management electronics and two nominal sections around 14.4 V and 28.8 V. Sealed NiMH is genuinely used in defence - in field batteries, patrol HF radios and professional packs - but it is not the primary chemistry of frontline US handhelds, and an honest scope statement does not claim otherwise. Nickel packs ship under UN 3496 and are treated as not restricted for air freight under IATA special provision A199.
A tactical transceiver combines a radio front end, a modem that can be reconfigured in software, an encryption module and a controller that manages the keypad, display and waveform loading. On the receive side the antenna passes through filters and a front-end amplifier to a mixer and demodulator, after which a decoder reconstructs voice, video or data and drives the audio or network output. On the transmit side the source is encoded, encrypted, modulated and sent through the power amplifier only when the radio is keyed or the network schedule demands a transmission. Because the waveform is software, a radio can be upgraded in the field to new hopping or networking modes without replacing the hardware, which is the central idea behind the Software Communications Architecture.
The frequency bands map to the mission. HF from 1.6 to 30 MHz gives long-range and near-vertical-incidence skywave for patrol and manpack radios. VHF low from 30 to 88 MHz is the SINCGARS ground combat band, VHF high from 108 to 174 MHz covers professional and adjacent airband use, and UHF from 225 to 400 MHz is the military airband and the UHF satellite region. Multiband radios extend to 512 or 520 MHz, with 762-870 MHz and L/S-band options for wideband and satellite modes. The AN/PRC-152, for example, covers 30-512 MHz at up to 5 W with an option extending to 762-870 MHz, and the AN/PRC-163 spans 250 mW to 5 W in handheld modes, 10 W in SATCOM and 3.2 W at L/S-band, with submersion rated to 20 m and a mass of about 1.13 kg with battery.
Frequency hopping is the classic electronic counter-countermeasure. Instead of staying on one channel, the radio changes frequency according to a synchronized schedule, dwelling only briefly on each hop. A jammer that does not know the schedule and the key must spread its power across the whole band or chase the carrier, while an intercept receiver cannot assemble a complete call from a single frequency. The published hop rates span roughly 100 to 10,000 hops per second, and faster hopping shortens the window available on each channel. SINCGARS uses about 100 hops per second over 2,320 channels, and the system needs a set of loaded variables including a crypto key and a transmission-security key before the network can operate.
The airborne equivalent is HAVE QUICK and HAVE QUICK II in the UHF 225-400 MHz band, with SATURN as the second-generation, faster-hopping evolution. The same radios usually also support single-channel and direct radio-to-radio modes, and low probability of intercept and detection is a design goal alongside the encryption. Hopping changes the battery load as well as the security profile: the frequency synthesizer and encryption engine work on every hop, and the network timing keeps the controller active even between voice calls, which is part of why the standby and receive currents cannot be treated as zero.
Wideband networking changed the tactical radio from a voice device into a network node. A mobile ad hoc network forms automatically when radios come within range and heals itself when nodes leave, and each node can relay traffic so a message crosses several hops without any fixed infrastructure. The Soldier Radio Waveform serves the soldier and sensor tier with high-rate point-to-point traffic such as video and imagery, while the Wideband Networking Waveform connects vehicle and higher-tier subnets. National and vendor waveforms implement the same idea differently: TrellisWare TSM uses Barrage Relay, in which simultaneous relay signals are combined cooperatively rather than routed packet by packet, and Persistent Systems Wave Relay uses dynamic routing to link people, UAVs, UGVs and cameras.
Mesh operation adds a continuous networking load. Relays must receive, decode and retransmit neighbouring traffic even when the operator is not speaking, so a MANET radio's receive and standby currents matter as much as its transmit peak. The MPU5 datasheet anchor illustrates the spread: 40 W at maximum transmit across three chains, 1.9 W receiving and 0.15 W in standby. As a second, different anchor, a national waveform specification describes self-organising IP mesh support with up to 10-hop unicast routing. The precise figures are model-specific, but the pattern is consistent: transmit dominates peak power, while receive and standby dominate the integrated energy over a long mission.
| Mode / waveform | What it does | Tier / band |
|---|---|---|
| Single channel / direct | Fixed-frequency radio-to-radio or network voice | All bands, simplest signalling |
| SINCGARS hopping | About 100 hops/sec over 2,320 channels, ECCM | VHF 30-88 MHz ground combat |
| HAVE QUICK II / SATURN | Airborne ECCM hopping, SATURN second generation | UHF 225-400 MHz airband |
| SRW / WNW | Soldier and vehicle wideband IP networking | Soldier and vehicle tiers |
| TSM / Wave Relay (ANW2) | Proprietary MANET mesh, relays and sensor links | Dismounted, unmanned and urban/subterranean |
| UHF SATCOM / MUOS | Satellite voice and cellular-style wideband data | UHF satellite, beyond line of sight |
Security sits in parallel with the waveform. NSA Type-1 equipment is certified for classified information and handled as a Controlled Cryptographic Item through manufacture, distribution, use and disposal. The keys themselves are loaded with fill devices, and the two functions are kept distinct: communications-security keys encrypt the content, while transmission-security keys protect the hopping schedule. Modern modules use validated algorithms such as AES-256, with published security policies naming the approved modes and hash functions, and inline network encryptors such as HAIPE devices protect IP traffic before it enters the mesh. Not every mission needs Type-1: sensitive-but-unclassified radios are fielded for that class of information, and the radio type is chosen against the data it carries.
Across all these modes the pack sees three electrical states. Standby keeps the controller and timing alive with sleep cycling, receive runs the front end and decoder while listening to the network, and transmit drives the power amplifier in pulses or scheduled bursts. The published anchors make the spread concrete. For the MPU5 MANET radio the values are 0.15 W, 1.9 W and 40 W; for a different handheld EPM radio a datasheet lists transmit currents of 1.6 A at nominal power, 0.65 A reduced and 3.2 A increased; an older portable radio measured 41 mA in quiet receive, 76 mA at full speaker volume and 350 mA on transmit. No single number transfers between models, but every pack must support a high pulse on demand while spending most of its life at low drain.
Two duty-cycle conventions are used to turn those states into runtime hours. The 5-5-90 convention means 5 percent transmit, 5 percent receive and 90 percent standby, the land-mobile convention also used in tactical marketing. The 1:9 convention, one part transmit to nine parts receive with no separate standby, is used by HF and patrol radio vendors. A runtime figure is only comparable at matched convention and temperature. On vehicles, a battery eliminator runs the radio from the 28 V vehicle bus under MIL-STD-1275, which requires protection against reverse polarity, spikes and surges, with test generators producing open-circuit spikes around 500 V; airborne platforms instead use MIL-STD-704.
Sealed nickel-metal-hydride has a real defence record, stated plainly rather than inflated. Large field batteries use NiMH: one British Army field battery is a 12 V 64 Ah NiMH unit with heaters and IP68-rated connectors, and a second-generation 24 V NiMH field battery carries its own NATO stock number. Patrol HF offers a closer radio example: a fielded patrol manpack lists a 13 Ah NiMH option giving about 50 hours under the 1:9 convention, alongside a 17 Ah lithium iron phosphate option at about 65 hours. Professional two-way-radio packs in 7.2 V and 9.6 V formats, built from 1.2 V cells, are widely offered with cycle lives on the order of 500 cycles. Against that, frontline US handhelds such as the PRC-152 and PRC-163 are designed around lithium-ion rechargeable and primary lithium packs, and Weijiang does not claim sealed NiMH replaces those in deployed combat radios.
The honest niches for sealed NiMH are therefore training and garrison radios, patrol HF where the vendor offers NiMH, professional and security packs, accessories, and buyers who need simpler logistics. Nickel chemistry ships under UN 3496 and is treated as not restricted for air freight when IATA special provision A199 is met, and the flat 1.2 V plateau and cadmium-free construction keep it practical where NiCd packs are being retired. Weijiang manufactures sealed NiMH cells and assembled packs; it does not manufacture NiCd or lithium-ion cells, and any lithium work is pack assembly rather than cell production.
It is built around electronic protection, certified cryptography and wideband networking. It hops frequencies to resist jamming, uses Type-1 or equivalent certified encryption, forms self-healing MANET meshes and can reach satellite networks, and it is qualified to military environmental and EMC standards. An ordinary handheld radio lacks that certified chain even if it looks similar on the outside.
It protects against fixed-frequency jamming and interception. By moving the carrier across many channels on a synchronized, keyed schedule, the radio forces a jammer to spread energy across the band and prevents an intercept receiver from assembling a complete call on one channel. It still needs separate encryption, because hopping alone hides the schedule but not the content from a well-equipped adversary.
The mesh maintains itself. Radios synchronize timing, relay neighbouring traffic, update routing and listen for nodes entering or leaving the network, so receive and standby currents remain active even between calls. Transmit dominates peak power, but receive and standby dominate the total energy integrated over a long mission.
Yes, in specific places: large field batteries, some patrol HF radios where NiMH is an offered option, and professional packs. The honest limit is that frontline US handhelds use lithium packs, so NiMH is presented as a fit for training, garrison, patrol and logistics-sensitive applications rather than as a universal replacement.
UN 3496 is the surface-transport entry for nickel-metal-hydride batteries, and IATA special provision A199 lets properly prepared NiMH ship by air as not restricted. The UN number itself is not used on the air waybill description, and the treatment differs from the lithium battery rules, which is one logistics advantage of nickel chemistry.
COMSEC keys protect the content of the communication through encryption, while TRANSEC keys protect the transmission itself, including the frequency-hopping schedule. They are separate variables loaded through fill devices, and a hopping network needs both before it can operate securely.
System and architecture references: the Software Communications Architecture and the Joint Tactical Radio System heritage appear in service and manufacturer material; radio characteristics for the AN/PRC-152 and AN/PRC-163 come from manufacturer brochures and datasheets, the NATO information-assurance record and procurement listings. Frequency-hopping and ECCM descriptions for SINCGARS, HAVE QUICK II and SATURN draw on service program material, training references and technical spectrum references. MANET material covers SRW, WNW, TrellisWare TSM and Persistent Systems Wave Relay/ANW2, including manufacturer technical documents and academic networking reviews. The cryptographic chain references NSA Type-1 controlled-item practice, published module security policies and inline network encryptor datasheets.
Cell, pack and transport references: BA-5590 and BB-2590 characteristics come from manufacturer datasheets, and the three-state current and power anchors come from published radio and MANET datasheets used as illustrative anchors rather than universal specifications. Vehicle power follows MIL-STD-1275 and airborne power MIL-STD-704. Nickel cells and packs are qualified to IEC 61951-2 and IEC 62133-1 and ship under UN 3496, with IATA special provision A199 defining the not-restricted air path; the military NiMH field battery and patrol-radio examples carry published NATO stock numbers or vendor datasheets. No statistics have been invented, and the chemistry scope reflects fielded practice rather than a claim that one chemistry replaces every other.
Weijiang Power supplies sealed NiMH cells and assembled NiMH packs for training, garrison and patrol tactical radios and professional security packs, built to the radio's geometry and retention requirements with pack-level protection. The cells are qualified to IEC 61951-2 and IEC 62133-1 and the packs ship under UN 3496 with the not-restricted air path under IATA A199. Send us your radio model, nominal voltage, transmit power level, waveform and duty convention, temperature and charging arrangement, and we will work through the cell count, capacity and pulse-current design and support the evidence for your evaluation. See the Weijiang NiMH product range for standard pack formats, or contact our OEM team with the radio specification and load profile.
