5G battlefield connectivity research goal of Viasat defense contracts
NewsSeptember 20, 2021
CARLSBAD, Calif. Viasat Inc., a global communications company, announced it received two awards from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) through the Information Warfare Research Project (IWRP) to conduct research that will examine the use and implementation of 5G networks on the battlespace.
According to the company, these awards are part of the DoD $600 million 5G research initiative announced last year, intended to explore how 5G technology can strengthen warfighting capabilities.
Viasat officials claim it is working with the DoD to solve complex communications problems across multiple network domains ranging from satellite to cellular to government-specific networking waveforms.
Specific to these contracts, the company also claims it will tap into its 5G wireless, networking, and cybersecurity expertise and help the DoD understand how it can best utilize 5G technology to enable multi-domain operations in future joint warfighting programs, including Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) capabilities.
The awards focus on two main areas: improving Command and Control (C2) applications and services and 5G enhanced network deployment for Agile Combat Employment (ACE) operations in contested environments.
