Show HN: Apache TacticalMesh – Open-source tactical mesh networking for defense

Hi HN!

I built an open-source tactical mesh networking platform for military and first responders.

THE PROBLEM: Soldiers and firefighters lose communications when infrastructure fails (jammed, destroyed, or non-existent). Current solutions cost $50K per radio and create vendor lock-in.

THE SOLUTION: Apache TacticalMesh - automatic message relay through mesh peers. When you can't reach base, your radio finds someone who can and routes through them. Like Waze for military comms.

TECH STACK: • FastAPI backend (Python) • React/TypeScript frontend • UDP mesh with Level 2 multi-hop routing • Smart path selection (hop count, RTT, reliability) • JWT auth, RBAC, audit logging • Docker deployment, 75% test coverage

WHY IT'S DIFFERENT: Most "mesh" systems are hub-and-spoke. This is true multi-hop - Node A → Node B → Node C → Controller with automatic failover.

OPEN SOURCE: Apache 2.0 licensed - free forever, no vendor lock-in. Built this to solve a real problem, not to start a company.

LOOKING FOR: • Technical feedback (especially on agent/mesh/routing.py) • Pilot partners (military units, National Guard, disaster response) • Contributors (Python/React devs interested in defense tech)

Happy to answer questions about the routing implementation or real-world deployment scenarios!