Technology on display at the SHOT Show® is of great interest to those in the law enforcement and military communities. Anything to give those in uniform an extra edge is worth examining further — and there is no better place to get hands-on with scores of products than at the SHOT Show.
In this exclusive SHOT Show Q&A, B.R. McDonald, Senior Vice President of Field Technical Services & Support at Persistent Systems, breaks down how the company’s MPU5 and new Personal Transport 5 are reshaping real‑time situational awareness for military and law‑enforcement operators.
Visit the Persistent Systems during the SHOT Show, located in The Venetian Expo, Level 1 — 44155
What is Persistent Systems?
B.R. McDonald (BM): Persistent Systems is a manufacturer. We’re in the business of providing a communication fabric to the Department of War, law enforcement and internationally. We build mobile ad-hoc network devices. So what does that mean? Think about mesh networks in the world of data — which we’re all moving to — with drones, robots and sensors. You need a network deployed, whether it’s for soldiers, law enforcement officers to be able to access that data.
We manufacture a product called the MPU5 and some other audio devices and peripheral devices that soldiers and officers can wear to access the network.
What’s on the Horizon for 2026?
BM: To be clear, the MPU5 is a radio, but it’s more of a network device that brings all this data to the officer, soldier or operator. We have a device that sits on the MPU5, which we will be showcasing at SHOT, called the Personal Transport 5. That connects to our radio, which in turn connects you to the 5G infrastructure that already exists.
If you stop by our booth at SHOT Show, you’ll see that in action. It’s technology and capability we call Cloud Relay, and that means as you go down into a subway tunnel, underground or inside a building — where traditional communications don’t exist or work well — you can still access the internet essentially (Cloud Relay) and get back to the person you’re trying to connect with. You can also use it to see where your peer is on a map.
The Personal Transport 5 is the component we really want people to come see in action using Cloud Relay technology.
What Can Someone Experience at your Booth?
BM: What we’re doing at SHOT is giving those who come by the booth an experience to literally step inside of this data, if you will. It’s hard to talk about what a network is. People know about drones, but it’s not so much what people care about — they see a cool drone flying or a robot moving on the street. The question for them is, what can that robot do for me? Can I see what that robot sees? Can I move the arm on a Boston Dynamics Spot quadruped robot to manipulate a door or go inside of a building?
What we’re doing is creating an experience at our booth where you can clip on our radio in a tactical kit and step inside and take control of these different platforms. Those platforms will include Teledyne FLIRs and two throwable FLIR First Look Robots. When you put on the kit, you’re going to be able to see what that robot sees and drive it around our booth. We’re going to have an R70 quadcopter, which is going be hanging with a camera on it. On our radio and on our device, you can simply swipe to a different app and move away from driving the First Look robot to now steering the camera that the drone has on it.
Boston Dynamics is going to be at our booth. Most people know them for their antics on “America’s Got Talent” and elsewhere, but they’re actually proliferating across the law enforcement community with their quadruped Spot robot. That robot has things like sensors and a camera, and you’re able to manipulate that. Peraton Remotec and others will be there as well.
The whole idea is to come experience the network itself, experience the data firsthand. For us at Persistent Systems, it’s a way to showcase the world that we’re moving into and how our network — the MPU5 and all of its accessories— allows you to be part of that, take control and be in command.
Where Can We Find You at SHOT Show?
BM: The SHOT Show is a massive event. The best way to find our booth is after you walk into registration to get your badge, take the left and you’ll see an entrance door. Just follow that, keep the wall on your right, and you’ll see us back at that booth, 44155. It’s usually pretty packed, so definitely plan your trip and plan your show accordingly.
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