Modular vehicular wideband HF radio for vehicles and mobile platforms
CNHF Vehicular is a modular vehicular wideband HF radio system designed for military vehicles, mobile platforms, and fixed deployments. Built around the proven CNHF Manpack transceiver, it delivers infrastructure-independent long-range communications that can be tailored to different platform needs.
The system operates as a vehicle-mounted HF radio, enabling seamless integration into existing vehicle communication architectures. It supports smooth transition between mounted and dismounted use while maintaining consistent performance across all operational scenarios.
Modular architecture for mission-fit vehicle integration
CNHF Vehicular is designed as a modular HF transceiver system for vehicles that adapts to both platform constraints and mission requirements. Instead of a fixed installation, the system can be configured as an integrated setup or distributed across multiple locations within a vehicle.
This enables installation in space-constrained platforms where system units cannot be placed in a single location.
- Distributed architecture enables installation across multiple locations within the platform
- Adapts to space constraints in densely packed vehicle environments
- Units operate together as a system or independently as needed
- Supports vehicle, base station, transportable, and maritime use cases
Built around the CNHF Manpack core
CNHF Vehicular extends the capabilities of the CNHF Manpack transceiver into mounted environments without changing how the system is operated. The same transceiver, interface, and waveform are used across dismounted, vehicle, and fixed deployments, allowing the system to be deployed across platforms without modifications to the core system or user interface.
This ensures minimal training requirements and consistent operational performance across all use cases.
- Automatic frequency selection from thousands of channels
- Link establishment in less than a second
- GNSS independent
- High resilience against jamming and interference
The CNHF Manpack transceiver can be quickly detached for dismounted use, enabling seamless transition between operational modes.
System architecture and units
CNHF Vehicular consists of purpose-designed units built around the CNHF Manpack transceiver and a dedicated vehicular mounting solution. The Vehicular Mounting Bracket (VMB) forms the mechanical foundation of the system, supporting flexible installation and protecting key units.
The system is composed of the following units:
CNHF Power Amplifier Unit
The CNHF Power Amplifier Unit (PAU) is an external RF power amplifier designed to extend CNHF Manpack HF and VHF transmit performance.
CNHF Antenna Tuning Unit
The CNHF Antenna Tuning Unit (ATU) is a ruggedised, externally mountable antenna matching unit designed to optimise HF and VHF transceiver performance across multiple antenna types.
CNHF Power Supply Unit
The CNHF Power Supply Unit (PSU) is a rugged DC/DC power supply designed to provide stable, protected DC power for CNHF Manpack transceivers and associated RF subsystems, including the CNHF Power Amplifier Unit (PAU) and CNHF Antenna Tuning Unit (ATU), in demanding military operational environments.
Reliable long-range communications in demanding environments
As a vehicular HF radio, the CNHF Vehicular is designed for reliable long-range communications in demanding operational environments, including extreme temperatures, vibration, shock, dust, and mechanical stress typical of military platforms.
The system combines increased transmit power, antenna tuning, and stable power delivery to maintain consistent performance across terrain, weather, and deployment scenarios — from vehicle installations to fixed and transportable use.
Built on KNL’s cognitive HF technology, the system ensures secure, resilient, and reliable communications by continuously adapting to real-time spectrum conditions without reliance on GPS or radio channel predictions. This makes it well suited for vehicle-mounted wideband HF radio applications across diverse operational scenarios.
Read more about CNHF Vehicular
Product sheet
Read more about technical specifications.
Ready to bring wideband cognitive HF to your vehicle fleet?
Contact us today!
CNHF Vehicular key benefits
Modular vehicular HF radio design for any platform
- Modular architecture allows units to be installed independently across the vehicle
- Enables installation in space-constrained armoured and tactical platforms
- Units can be installed and used together or independently
- Supports vehicle, base station, transportable, and maritime platforms
Extends CNHF Manpack capabilities and use cases
- Enables use of the same CNHF Manpack transceiver across vehicle, dismounted, and fixed deployments.
- Seamless transition between mounted and dismounted use with the same transceiver
- Fully compatible with existing CNHF networks and waveforms
- Protects existing investments by enabling reuse of already deployed Manpack radios
Increased power and operational reach
- Transmit power up to 250W PEP on HF and 50W PEP on VHF with the Power Amplifier Unit
- Improved link reliability and data throughput over extended distances
- Efficient RF performance with antenna tuning across multiple antenna types
- Supports long-range communications without reliance on external infrastructure
Designed for harsh vehicle environments
- Engineered for shock, vibration, temperature extremes, and mechanical stress
- Active external cooling through heatsinks keeps system units at operating temperature without internal airflow, preventing dust and debris from entering the device.
- Stable and protected power input compliant with MIL-STD-1275
- Designed and tested to meet the applicable requirements of MIL-STD-810 and MIL-STD-461
Simplified integration and system deployment
- Compatible with the mounting hole patterns of legacy vehicle radio installations, enabling straightforward upgrades.
- Modular architecture enables flexible installation across different vehicle platforms
- Supports integration of existing CNHF Manpack units
- System units can be installed independently based on platform constraints
All the benefits of cognitive HF
- Automatic frequency selection and fast link establishment
- Fully functional in GPS-denied environments with asynchronous link establishment and communication.
- High resilience against jamming and interference
- Secure voice and data with military-grade encryption