During the Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiments 2017 (AEWE 2017) , photos of the RolaTube got our interest. The RolaTube they use is a roll-up mast that has VHF and UHF embedded. Once deployed as a radio mast, a soldier needs to just it into a radio. Since it is a roll-up mast, it can be easily packed away.

UK-based RolaTube Expeditionary Systems explains that the product uses the revolutionary Bi Stable Reeled Composite (BRC) Technology, and they deliver mast products and structural systems to customers in the Defence, Homeland Security, Emergency Services, Disaster Relief, UN and NGO sectors.

Photos: RolatTube during AEWE 2017 (By Angie DePuydt, U.S. Army)

So what does that really mean? The RolaTube is a fabric that is made with fiberglass that when it is deployed, turns into a rigid structure usable as a mast and other purposes with the thickness dependent on the width of the fabric. For soldiers, they can also put together a ladder with the RolaTube if they need to go over an obstacle and can just pack it away to fit a rucksack.

What’s more, you can also use the RolaTube as a tripod for the support weapons and sniper rifles. It is that versatile and rigid enough that it can readily take vibration caused by firing an M240 machine gun. This example of a tripod can also make it readily useful for civilian purposes such as film crews and surveyors.

We don’t know how to get one of these RolaTubes for airsoft purposes, given that it has military applications. For radio masts to ladders, and to whatever application that we can think of, any serious milsim player can find more uses for the RolaTube as one can just improvise in the field such as turning it into an instant stretcher for an injured player or as a pole for a poncho to put up instant shelter.

Now, where do we get these? The company has distributors around the world. In the U.S.A., they have ADS Inc., and Shakespeare Military and in Europe they have distributors in the Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, and France.

The company is also looking into developing applications for use in spacecraft.