Photo By 1st Lt. Marcelo Marta | From left, Rugged Applications Platform-Tactical Radios Technical Operations (RAP-TR)...... read more read more
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FORT BLISS, Texas - The 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT), 4th Infantry Division, trains to ensure that radio communications are simple and effective. Over 2,000 miles of border are patrolled daily in desert and mountainous terrain; U.S. Soldiers are utilizing a new system, the Ruggedized Applications Platform-Tactical Radios (RAP-TR) Net, to maintain secure and reliable communications.
U.S. soldiers with 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, and the 704th Brigade Support Battalion, all assigned to 2nd SBCT, are training on the RAP-TR Net. This communications system was first introduced in 2021 to the 173rd Airborne Brigade. RAP-TR Net enables more reliable radio communication while maintaining security for operational use.
”It allows Soldiers to quickly and efficiently program radios, cutting man-hours as they move towards the future of communications.” said JaShon Hunter, a civilian RAP-TR Net Technical Instructor who teaches U.S. Soldiers at Fort Bliss the new system. “A big thing here on the border is ‘MUOS’, Mobile User Objective System- it's a waveform that allows you to connect from any distance in the world…they can even be in the Pentagon talking straight to a unit on the border. Instant and secure communication.”
Since the deployment of the Joint Task Force–Southern Border (JTF-SB) earlier this year, one of the most significant operational challenges has been maintaining secure communication among units from different brigades, divisions, and branches operating along the 2,000-mile border. RAP-TR Net helps address this by replacing older models like the Integrated Waveform and Tactical Satellite networks. MUOS replaces this system with a classified and unclassified system.
The classified system utilizes dynamic IP discovery, allowing over 250 radios to operate on one network. It can also utilize an unclassified system; while it does not use the dynamic IP discovery method, it still can support 100 radios on one network. Radios on the same network utilize a secure communications protocol, which is used to create “voice bridges” or a telephone-like system. A voice bridge enables users to “call” others on the same network with a person-to-person or a “group call.” Multiple voice bridges can happen simultaneously, allowing quick and direct communication between units.
Hunter continued on the ease of use, “All of your Harris Radios, Rockwell Collins Radios, and Thales Radios can use this!” Hunter continued. “DSN phone calls, pictures, videos, tactical overlays can all be sent over MUOS. After you set it up, it is good for a whole year.”
U.S. Army Cpl. Eric Bowen, an intelligence analyst for the 704th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, who attended the training, spoke on his experience in the course, “I worked as a company RTO in field exercises in the past where I used the older systems, the RT-1523s…the radios we trained with [here] are night and day.” While they haven’t had the chance to use this new equipment in the field, Cpl. Bowen said that this new system will make the patrol along the border easier, “every radio can function as a repeater increasing its range, these new radios fit on your gear, and you can look down and troubleshoot from right there. It’s more practical for dismounted operations; it's a night and day difference.”
In addition to providing secure and reliable communications, implementing the RAP-TR net can decrease the time needed to train service members on radio systems. Older systems require nearly 220 hours to train service members; training on RAP-TR net can be as little as 60 hours. This gives JTF-SB greater manpower available who have a quick and reliable form of communication, improving the overall efficiency of operations on the southern border.
| Date Taken: | 06.07.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.23.2025 14:33 |
| Story ID: | 500761 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 134 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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