TrellisWare WINGs: Integrating UAVs into the Tactical MANET Network

The UAV data link problem in joint operations

The data link between the UAV and the ground operator is the Achilles' heel of tactical aerial intelligence. Military UAV systems from the 2000s-2010s used proprietary data links — DJI OcuSync, Silvus StreamCaster, ROVER systems — that are incompatible with each other and have a structural weakness: they are point-to-point. When the ground operator moves, or when there is an obstacle between the UAV and the controller, the link is lost.

This problem is amplified in the Peruvian theater. In the VRAEM, topography creates signal shadow micro-environments every few kilometers. In the low jungle, the 40-meter canopy blocks any direct signal between ground and aircraft flying at altitudes below 200 meters. On the northern and northeastern borders, operational distances exceed the typical range of line-of-sight UAV control radios.

The WINGs solution: the UAV as another network node

TrellisWare WINGs solves the problem from first principles. Instead of a point-to-point link between controller and UAV, WINGs integrates the aircraft as another node within the existing TSM-X network. The UAV inherits the adaptive topology, routing, and encryption of the platoon network — exactly like a dismounted TW-950 node or a vehicular node.

The practical implication is fundamental: when the ground operator moves and loses direct line-of-sight with the UAV, any TW-950 node in the area can act as a transparent repeater in the TSM-X network. The UAV control link is automatically re-routed through those intermediate nodes in less than 10 ms — without operator intervention, without loss of control.

Technical specifications WINGs

Form factor: 180 g integration module in SBC format with integrated RF. Mounts in the standard payload bay of Group 2-3 category fixed-wing and multi-rotor UAVs.

Protocol: TSM-X (Tactical MANET Extended) — the same waveform as TW-950 and CHAOS. Self-forming and self-healing network.

Throughput: >25 Mbps aggregate data available to the network. Full HD ISR video at 5-8 Mbps occupies ~30% of capacity.

Power consumption: <8 W in continuous transmission — compatible with most Group 2-3 military UAVs (STANAG 4586).

Encryption: AES-256 FIPS 140-2, hardware-implemented — end-to-end encrypted from UAV sensor to commander's tablet.

ATAK integration: the UAV as a track on the COP

Native ATAK integration means the UAV automatically appears as a track on the ATAK map of all network users — with GPS position, altitude, speed, and heading updated in real time. Operators can see the UAV's coverage footprint, reassign ISR missions from the map, and correlate aerial detections with friendly force positions without voice coordination.

Applications in the Peruvian theater

VRAEM ISR: Fixed-wing Group 2 UAVs operating with 6-8 hour endurance, feed distributed to forward outposts through TW-950 relay nodes at terrain crests — no civil infrastructure required.

Border surveillance: UAV rotations covering 40-60 km border sectors with distributed feeds to multiple observation posts over TSM-X.

Fire support and targeting: UAV WINGs closes the digital targeting loop — forward observer transmits target coordinates directly to fire systems via TSM-X, eliminating voice-transcription-manual entry errors.

EMAR SYSTEMS is the authorized TrellisWare distributor in Peru and LATAM, with current EAR/ITAR clearance and engineers certified for TSM-X + WINGs integration.