UPDATE The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded Viasat Inc. a contract to conduct research on the use of 5G to support advanced base operations communications. The research will focus on network enhancements, command and control, and the integration of digital twin and agile software defined network capabilities. This is the third award Viasat has received as a part of the DoD’s $600 million research initiative for using 5G technology on the battlefield.
Achieving secure, resilient communications across multiple transports in expeditionary environments is a challenge because of the military’s need to rapidly set up and tear down the network, work across multiple networks, and operate in austere and cyber and electronic warfare conditions. Using a phased approach, Viasat will address specific application areas of 5G dynamic RF spectrum and adaptive network planning and management. This research will also look at how to enhance 5G RF and network planning with digital twin models, using 5G mobile edge compute to enable tactical edge compute with artificial intelligence and machine learning.
In October 2020, the DoD first announced that it would award the $600 million for 5G experimentation and testing at five U.S. military test sites. The DoD plans to advance its 5G capabilities by partnering with military services, industry leaders, and academic experts. Projects will include piloting 5G-enabled augmented/virtual reality for mission planning and training, testing 5G-enabled Smart Warehouses, and evaluating 5G technologies to enhance distributed command and control.
“The DoD is at the forefront of cutting edge 5G testing and experimentation, which will strengthen our Nation’s warfighting capabilities as well as U.S. economic competitiveness in this critical field,” said Michael Kratsios, Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor
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