I have a pair of the Motorola GMRS handhelds, they get about 5-7 miles with a slightly longer than stock rubber duckie antenna from Motorola's Spirit business band line. IIRC, they are 5 watts, and there is a mobile rig that runs 25 watts. These are the older "talkabout distance" models that look like a "real Motorola", not the multi-colored weird shaped ones they currently sell. There were two versions, one took a rechargeable pack only, and the other one could use the packs or AA batteries in a holder. Built like a tank, all I've ever had to replace are the battery packs @ $8 apiece from Ebay.
motorola talkabout distance | eBay
They require a license but it is a fill out the app and if yer check don't bounce yer in. Channel crowding is the biggest issue, there are only 22 channels available and some are also FRS channels so everybody is on them at any type of event.
Now, if ya want short range "tactical" comms, the Motorola DTR series is about the best a civvy can do. Voice is converted to digital "packets" and sent out over a frequency hopping pattern, IIRC 90 milliseconds per freq. Consumer scanners will not be able to eavesdrop on them. Unless another DTR radio is "synched" to your network they can't listen in either. You can also select individual radios in the net to talk to privately without others hearing. They operate on the same band as WiFi, so no license needed. Pricey though. Range is also limited to a couple miles or so under ideal conditions, 1 watt. There is an optional mini keyboard that plugs in for text messaging, and there are 15 pre-programmed text messages you can send without the keyboard needed.
Motorola DTR Series