How the U.S. Military is Using 5G to Transform its Networked Infrastructure

Across the globe, “5G” is among the most widely discussed emerging communications technologies. But while 5G stands to impact all industries, consumers are yet to realize its full benefits due to outdated infrastructure and a lack of successful real-world cases. 5G-enabled smartphones will reach 69% of the smartphone market only by 2023, Statista reports.

 

Even as consumers wait, the U.S. military is undertaking some of the largest real-world 5G applications ever. In May 2020, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) announced its $600 million investment in 5G experimentation—an initial series of partnerships with private-sector companies that is driving the future of practical 5G across military branches today.

 

What is 5G to the U.S. Military?

 

“5G” stands for fifth-generation wireless technology, which uses both conventional and mmWave frequencies to drive data speeds up to 100-times faster than those found in 4G networks. 5G networks also have greater bandwidth, allowing them to support more devices simultaneously with reduced latency.

 

Transforming existing consumer wireless infrastructure is an enormous and costly undertaking.
Today, most consumer 5G networks feature 5G signals that are simply layered on top of 4G infrastructure. These are not the 5G networks of the future.

 

Meanwhile, the U.S. military plays by a different set of rules—it is well positioned to build pure 5G communications systems. “Tomorrow’s war­fighters will use local and expeditionary 5G networks to move massive amounts of data to connect distant sensors and weapons into a dense, resilient battlefield network,” Ellen Lord, former Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment describes. These systems will not only transform communications across all military branches, but lead the way in terms of real-world applications in consumer markets.

 

Five Military 5G Use Cases Underway Today

 

Since the DoD began its 5G experimental programs, they have begun working directly with leading technology companies like Samsung, AT&T, Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH) and others to develop discrete 5G technologies focused on highly specific military applications. The DoD’s 5G program leaders selected military bases based on their existing infrastructure maturity to begin. Here are some of the results of those applications today.

 

1. Augmented Reality

 

The DoD initially piloted 5G-enabled augmented and virtual reality for mission planning and training. As of July 2021, Samsung and defense contractor GBL systems have deployed “a new 5G-powered test bed for [AR] applications,” Forbes reports. The Army uses this network to connect AR headsets with “visual overlays of critical information such as virtual obstacles, instrument readings, and more that are essential for simulated combat scenarios.”

 

2. Smart Warehouses

 

In its 2020 announcement, the DoD shared its goal to develop “smart warehouses” for the storage and maintenance of the Navy’s vehicles. The warehouses’ 5G networks would focus on improving “transshipment between shore facilities and naval units to increase the efficiency and fidelity of naval logistics operations.”

As of May 2021, both civilian and military teams at Naval Base Coronado are moving forward with this initiative, developing a 5G warehouse in line with the DoD’s goals—the very first of its kind. This application will make an enormous impact at the very large base, which has eight Navy installations and foundational capabilities for the Navy’s fleet logistics.

 

3. Dynamic Communications

 

In the Air Force, DoD applications include expanding data acquired via radar systems to 5G cellular devices in the field and at command and control (C2). This approach will vastly expand real-time visibility among a wide range of operatives in the field “to aid in Air, Space, and Cyberspace lethality,” as the DoD describes.

 

4. Distributed Command and Control

 

5G can decentralize C2 so that it becomes more difficult to target, both in terms of physical and digital space. “With 5G, we can disaggregate C2 and make it agile [and] mobile,” Air Force Col. Michael Driscoll, Director of Future Operations describes. In this context, C2 embodies a network of sensors that connects land, air, and space operations via a shared cloud environment, allowing operators to communicate and direct operations from any location.

 

Improved Security

 

5G offers security advantages beyond those of 4G or previous wireless networks. By default, 5G routes data through encrypted IP tunnels. As military cybersecurity leaders add security layers to that existing format, they avoid overloading 5G network bandwidth; they maintain the hard-won efficiencies they achieved through broad, 5G infrastructure adoption in the first place.

 

Realizing Future 5G Military Applications

 

The DoD is doing more than testing 5G technology; it is demonstrating what’s possible, what are the best applications, and what are some of the benefits made possible by broad 5G infrastructure adoption. It’s difficult to estimate the benefits 5G will create for tomorrow’s military, but one thing is certain—the U.S. military is driving real-world 5G adoption. Private industries across the globe are watching intently to see the results.

 

Partner with Uvation for Your 5G Transformation

 

The 5G revolution is coming to your industry—are you ready? Uvation can help you prepare your own 5G strategy, so you can secure a competitive advantage. Contact one of our 5G experts today for a free consultation.