The Hidden Backhaul of Modern Warfare

Across the combat zone, brigades maneuver, command posts deploy, and sensors never stop feeding data. Holding all of this together requires a communications backhaul resilient and wide enough to keep pace with the tempo of the fight.

For Idan, a product manager at Elbit Systems, HCLOS (High Capacity Line of Sight) is far more than just another radio. It is the secured infrastructure that holds an entire formation together.

“Our HCLOS systems carry the heavy data traffic that shifts between tactical and rear command levels,” Idan explains. “It’s the link that keeps an entire division fully synchronized.”
 

What Sets HCLOS Apart

High-Capacity Line of Sight differs clearly from tactical mobile SDRs. While mobile SDRs supports maneuvering forces on the move typically in VHF and UHF frequency bands, HCLOS is built as a long distance microwave link for resilient wide-band connectivity at scale .

Operating in the C-Band, Elbit’s HCLOS systems deliver up to 200 Mbps (aggregate), supporting high bandwidth, mission critical voice, video, and data, such as mission-planning tools, ISR feeds, sensor fusion, and high-volume command-and-control traffic.

Unlike fiber infrastructure that requires fixed installations, or SATCOM links that depend on external operators, paid services, and typically provide lower throughput, HCLOS gives field commanders a deployable and independent high capacity backhaul they can set up in various locations. “HCLOS is a deployable infrastructure,” Idan says. “You don’t need permanent installations or satellite operators, and the data rates are simply higher.”
 

Built for Combat Demands

At the core of Elbit’s HCLOS portfolio is the GRX-8000, the company’s flagship radio and mast system used by militaries worldwide. Unlike mesh networks that distribute traffic across multiple nodes, the GRX-8000 operates as a point-up-to-six-point hub.
One station can connect up to six others simultaneously, and each can relay traffic onward – for distances of 70 km and more – creating scalable coverage that reaches brigade and division levels.

Resilience is a defining characteristic of the system. “We are known for survivability,” Idan says. “Our frequency-hopping speed is significantly higher than competitors, and that makes the link extremely difficult to disrupt.” The system also offers strong spectral efficiency, supporting both fixed and frequency-hopping carriers that allow commanders to optimize bandwidth and dynamically manage spectrum in contested environments.
Although HCLOS stations typically remain static once a link is established, mobility continues to play an important operational role. Units operating in proximity to hostile or dynamic areas must be able to relocate rapidly, and the system is designed to support such mobility across multiple scenarios. Two operators can quickly erect the mast and align the antennas, either manually or through a vehicle mounted configuration. In addition to rapid ground deployment, the system supports mounted and maritime-on-the-move solutions that maintain the link - ensuring continuous high capacity connectivity even while on the move.

When a unit needs to move, the entire setup can be dismantled quickly to avoid detection or targeting. “This is all about getting a high-capacity link up fast,” Idan says. “Commanders want simple installation, intuitive user interfaces, and the ability to manage spectrum in real time.”

Link resilience is supported through Adaptive Coding and Modulation, which automatically adjusts modulation schemes to preserve the link when environmental changes occur.
 

Range, Precision, and Flexible Mission Profiles

Elbit’s HCLOS antennas are available in two configurations. One provides sector-based coverage for flexible deployment, and the other uses a narrow beam for high-gain, long-distance transmission. With these options, forces can establish links of 70 kilometers and more, even in complex terrain. The same technology also supports naval missions, enabling ship-to-shore connectivity over the same high-capacity architecture.

HCLOS systems are used worldwide in environments defined by electronic warfare, dynamic maneuvering, and rapidly shifting battlefield conditions. This exposure ensures that the technology evolves directly from operational experience rather than theoretical assumptions. “Being battle-proven matters,” Idan says. “Our customers know these systems are built on real feedback from real missions.”

The global adoption of HCLOS continues to shape the roadmap, with development focused on greater automation in spectrum management, smarter deployment workflows, and deeper integration with broader C4I ecosystems.

A deployed HCLOS mast may appear simple from the outside – a narrow antenna pointing across a valley, a ridgeline, or an urban skyline. Yet behind that quiet silhouette flows the data that keeps a fighting formation coherent. ISR feeds, mission orders, logistics updates and the secure voice channels commanders rely on all pass through this link. HCLOS is the backhaul that warfighters rarely notice but always depend on.

In a battlefield defined by speed, dispersion, and information saturation, that backhual must be fast, resilient, and ready the moment forces hit the ground. “At the end of the day,” Idan concludes, “HCLOS aims to allow the entire formation to stay connected to the backbone and higher echelons, no matter how complex the mission becomes.”