Jane Edwards
Lockheed Martin and Intel have implemented 5G communications capabilities on flight-ready hardware using commercial 5G standards and open systems architecture as part of efforts to improve connectivity and accelerate decision-making for military operators across domains.
Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed said Monday it integrated a 5G Core and Open Radio Access Network technology into its 5G.MIL Hybrid Base Station that was implemented within a 3U/VPX rugged form factor powered by Intel’s FlexRAN reference architecture and Intel Xeon Scalable processors.
The latest development is part of the partnership on 5G military communications that was announced in April.
Lockheed performed a laboratory demonstration of tactical network and over-the-air 5G connectivity using the 5G.MIL HBS on a 3U/VPX system, which could enable the team to test the platform on military aerial vehicles as part of crewed-unmanned teaming test flights.
“The integration of 5G and military tactical radios into our Hybrid Base Station enables resilient, link-diverse data routing throughout the battlespace to make future crewed-uncrewed distributed teaming missions possible,” said John Clark, vice president and general manager of Lockheed’s Skunk Works unit.
Intel and Lockheed will continue to collaborate to determine how to better connect commercial 5G stacks to military datalinks to deliver resilient communications capabilities to the Department of Defense.
