U.S. military moves to implement 5G: key considerations

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October 10, 2024

The United States Congress wants to see the Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) plans to upgrade to wireless communication on military bases – a step toward getting all personnel and Pentagon-owned assets on advanced networks tailored to their military-security needs. The move is another piece of the strategy of leveraging the advanced wireless technologies of commercial telecommunications while enabling extensions that will fit mission needs around the world. These innovations are yet another connectivity advancement that will ultimately support making the Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) initiative a reality.

Leaders in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) have a clear vision of their communications requirements in defense systems around the globe. All the technology on the battlefield – sensors, weapons, vehicles, warfighters and commands – should seamlessly talk to each other regardless of whether they’re operating in land, sea, air, space, or cyber domains. Communications is a critical component necessary to achieve the Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) vision, which is based on the idea of achieving asymmetric capability and decision advantage across the globe for U.S. national defense.

The ambitious CJADC2 initiative requires immense coordination between services and allies to ensure interoperability for critical programs and overcome technical hurdles like accessing the necessary spectrum resources. This involves tactical edge systems using wireless connectivity to communicate with other tactical edge systems as well as core cloud environments such as that offered through the Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability (JWCC).

An additional hurdle is that these emerging edge-to-core global communications systems must enable advanced computing capabilities for decision advantage in degraded or denied operating environments.

The latest (2024) National Defense Authorization Act1 (NDAA) requires defense leaders to present plans for upgrading aging networks at military bases and installations around the globe to private 5G wireless networks. Successful transitions will modernize base communications and support near-ubiquitous connectivity for the department’s growing inventory of devices. Before these transitions can be completed, however, military planners must navigate complex deployments, supply chains rife with geopolitical concerns, and security vulnerabilities.

Harnessing the power of 5G

Taking advantage of 5G communications requires a new network architecture. The result is an easier-to-upgrade software-defined infrastructure with traffic capacity as much as 100 times greater than previous wireless generations like 4G. Faster speeds and data response times as low as 1 millisecond support emerging technologies with time-sensitive applications and immediate data-processing needs, including internet of things (IoT) devices, edge computing, and unmanned or autonomous systems. Unlike in hardware-based networks, upgrades, optimizations, and new features can be only a download away.

Tech teams also can tap advanced network-management options through the software layer, similar to configuring data centers today. Network slicing, a key 5G feature, enables teams to create many virtual networks tailored to specific use cases. For example, one slice could be reserved for machine-to-machine communications while another can be dedicated to command post operations and training. Slicing also enables teams to prioritize mission-critical applications, dynamically allocate resources based on real-time demand, or prohibit unauthorized devices from connecting.

What Congress wants

5G isn’t new for the DoD: Since the 2020 release of the 5G Strategy Implementation Plan2, the department has invested $1.85 billion in roughly a dozen military testbeds to focus on different 5G use cases, ranging from pier-to-ship projects to on-base smart warehousing efforts.

Through the 2024 NDAA, Congress is encouraging military 5G use to shift from pilots to include broad, base-wide adoption for operations and those who work and live on facilities. Lawmakers earmarked $179 million for research into 5G and next-generation communications and required DoD officials to create a single department-wide process for military, civil and contractor personnel to access commercial subscriber services. Coming up with one system is no small feat considering the wide variety of bases the department operates. Installations range from housing a handful of people to hundreds of thousands of personnel, at locations as varied as cities, remote locations, and everywhere in between.

The NDAA also mandates the department eschew the market-dominating proprietary 5G equipment in favor of open radio access network (ORAN) architecture. ORAN supports interoperability between hardware and software from different suppliers, enabling military leaders to mix and match components and avoid vendor lock-in. While the ability to shop competitively potentially drives down equipment costs, it also means considerable research before building a new network.

What a base needs

5G networks can be challenging to deploy because integrating software-defined networking, edge computing, and advanced radio technologies is time-consuming and error-prone. However, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions and open-source software can make it easier for organizations to combine the software, hardware, and radio layers for their bespoke requirements.

Many “5G-in-a-box” offerings can be deployed as a single unit or expanded into a multiserver architecture to bring connectivity anywhere, including in vehicles or austere environments without other terrestrial infrastructure. On bases, they can extend communications to outdoor spaces such as training grounds, flight-line operations, or other areas where it’s too expensive to install Wi-Fi or local area networks. These mobile solutions can often connect with satellite communications or other legacy protocols, depending on configurations.

Unlike a 5G testbed with a specific, controlled operating environment, modernizing military-base communications requires understanding the entire community of potential users. Planners must thoroughly map out the base’s indoor, outdoor, and remote coverage needs while accommodating Pentagon-owned assets and civilian services like on-base businesses, banking, and schools. The military families on base will also want access for their daily activities, like streaming and gaming.

The congressional nudge for bases to adopt private 5G networks aligns with what many other organizations are considering. According to a 2023 survey from the Enterprise Strategy Group, 95% of organizations across different business sectors are looking into private 5G networks. However, half of the respondents expect 5G to complement existing Wi-Fi rather than replace it.

Defense doesn’t drive the 5G market

Some providers of 5G technology prioritize commercial demands from large telecommunications and internet companies over defense standards, a stance that poses significant challenges for military officials seeking to minimize supply-chain vulnerabilities.

The U.S. national-security community has long warned that 5G equipment built outside of the U.S. could lead to espionage, surveillance, or intellectual-property theft. Adversaries could potentially inject backdoors or malicious or counterfeit components to compromise critical systems. In 2020, the U.S. government banned 5G equipment from Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE, and it continues to ramp up supply-chain transparency initiatives for information communications and technology.

To ensure the integrity of their 5G networks, defense officials must partner strategically with trusted U.S. or allied companies, and work to develop a robust domestic 5G ecosystem. Defense leaders should prioritize products that adhere to global standards set by organizations like the 3rd Generation Partnership Project and U.S. government standards from agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Other government security-certifications programs like FedRAMP and Trusted Internet Connections 3.0 can provide additional layers of trust.

Fortifying the future

Beyond supply-chain concerns, DoD’s adoption of 5G networks requires comprehensive strategies to ensure the security of its communications backbone.

Part of 5G’s appeal – expanded capacity for devices – also increases the department’s attack surface. DoD must implement end-to-end encryption protocols, authentication mechanisms, and intrusion detection systems to protect sensitive data and communications from cyber threats and unauthorized access. Advanced analytics and machine learning (ML) can also help detect threats. Network slicing enables tech teams to set up independent, isolated networks with security protocols that match the sensitivity of operations.

Security plans must also account for mobile base stations and edge-computing devices that operate outside the physical confines of data centers and buildings. Software should meet zero-trust principles, continuously validating every access request, regardless of whether the user or device is inside or outside the network perimeter. Officials should consider hardware with built-in security to minimize that damage that can be done if physical control is lost.

A new class of private 5G base stations, such as the Intel and Trenton Systems’ IES.5G, enables advanced high-performance computing capabilities in a nearly plug-and-play solution. Setup requires attaching a power source and an antenna. The network can quickly connect to devices with properly configured SIM cards. (Figure 1.)

[Figure 1 ǀ The IES.5G base station layers security features – hardware plus AI-enabled threat detection – in a single case.]

Solutions like IES.5G feature hardware that creates trusted execution environments, protects and encrypts data, and uses artificial intelligence to detect threats. Layering security features can help DoD leverage 5G technology while safeguarding critical defense assets.

Private 5G networks can pave the way for military bases and installations to embrace the DoD’s vision of connected operations. With a strategic approach to supply-chain and security planning, officials can harness the power of this software-defined infrastructure to scale, adapt seamlessly to the exponential increase in data traffic, and stay ahead of the curve with emerging technologies. MES

Notes

¹ H.R.2670 – National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/2670.

² U.S. Department of Defense, https://www.cto.mil/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/DOD-5G-Strategy-Implementation-Plan.pdf.

David Richards, Technical Director, Intel Defense and National Security Group, has more than 25 years of experience serving government, defense, and civilian markets, including critical infrastructure across industrial, financial, healthcare, and telecom. Dave's early career as a computer and electrical engineer was with the Navy’s Bettis Atomic Power Lab and Wyle Design Services. In 2000, Dave joined Altera Corporation which was acquired by Intel in December 2015. David was instrumental in shaping Intel’s Programmable Solutions government strategy prior to joining the Intel Public Sector Team.

Bob Haag, Trenton Systems’ Chief Commercial Officer, is responsible for working across the company to help position it for accelerated business growth. Formerly Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Crystal Group, General Manager of Rockwell Collins’ military business, and President and General Manager of Wabtec Corporation, Bob brings decades of business management, sales, strategy development, and marketing experience to Trenton. He is a graduate of Iowa State University, where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer engineering.

Intel https://www.intel.com/

Trenton Systems https://www.trentonsystems.com/