Defense technology and communications

Most wireless networks used by today’s defense forces were built to provide military-grade voice communications. They can’t support the data-intensive applications needed for intelligent mission-critical operations at smart military bases, in navy task forces, at border control points or at temporary field headquarters.

The solution: Modernize your transport communication network with private wireless broadband. Next-generation 4.9G/LTE and 5G mobile broadband technologies can provide an ultra-reliable, single network for most of your mission-critical applications. These technologies already power numerous business- and mission-critical Industry 4.0 applications. They require minimal adaptation to meet a broad range of operative and tactical military requirements.  From the core network to edge computing, the end-to-end network orchestration capabilities enabled by private wireless broadband are ideal for transforming military-grade communications systems – from HQ operations to bases, at sea or in theaters of operation anywhere. 

State-of-the-art, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technologies for private broadband wireless communications support these next-generation communications networks. They deliver the reliability and performance needed to support new defense applications. They also streamline the underlying telecom infrastructure to further increase efficiencies.

5G is the first wireless technology that delivers the capacity, reliability, control and network security solutions to replace wired networks. It’s designed to meet industrial, military and government networking needs for time-sensitive automated processes and massive numbers of low-powered industrial IoT sensors and devices – the key technologies for defense logistics and base operations.

Coordinate operations with efficiency

Offering the end-to-end reliability, security and scale essential for military operations, 5G for defense  provides the capacity to support video communications and data-intensive applications in the field to improve situational awareness and better coordinate personnel. It allows you to conduct military, border control and natural disaster recovery operations in a more efficient, synchronized way.

Taking advantage of 5G’s high-performance technology

• Enhance command-and-control operations
• Automate base operations, logistics and maintenance
• Improve base security
• Provide immersive training
• Enhance military health services with telemedicine
• Better manage disasters and emergencies

Digital transformation and distributed service models are pushing data traffic to levels far beyond the capacity of current defense WANs. Currently these WANs are often based on legacy technologies, many of which are nearly obsolete. Additionally, they were built in a highly segmented way that makes them complex to manage and expensive to maintain. This makes modernizing defense WANs a priority.

New digital defense services will utilize unprecedented automation and flexibility needed for efficient 5G and native-cloud service delivery. You’ll be able to smoothly replace multiple legacy networks with a single, scalable, multiservice IP/MPLS transport network to reduce operational expenditures without impacting legacy services. This will provide the highest possible reliability and resilience, from aggregation to the network core, to prioritize and segregate traffic – and with defense-grade cybersecurity solutions.

Going forward defense strategic backbone networks will demand much more flexibility in traffic management, with enhanced network security solutions. They will require cross-layer network management, end-to-end network optimization and network automation. They will need to interconnect military bases, headquarters and data centers. They also must enable smooth migration from legacy TDM to IP-based applications. In summary, they must be:

• Reliable
• Resilient
• Flexible
• Scalable
• Secure

Defense organizations are relying on 5G and distributed cloud infrastructure to reach all of these goals. With this approach you will achieve the strategic backbone networks needed for military success in the cloud-native 5G era.

A smart base relies on digital technologies and automation to drive more efficient and productive operations with lower operating costs. These improvements are possible because the underlying infrastructure is streamlined and cohesive.

The days when each department would deploy its own digital services and infrastructure are gone – along with the associated redundancy and complexity. Instead, different groups working at a smart base share technology platforms to optimize development and deployment of services. This shared infrastructure includes:

• A high-performance connectivity platform that supports fiber and wireless broadband access, IP/MPLS and packet microwave technologies
• Distributed edge-cloud infrastructure to host and run time-sensitive applications
• An IoT device management platform
• A secure data marketplace and integrated operations center to securely exchange data and insights and build end-to-end services
• Machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (IA) based analytics platforms that provide real-time insight into base efficiency

Creating a smart base with 5G

With the integrated smart base approach, it’s much easier to scale the rollout and maintenance of innovative base services for security, logistics, training, maintenance and many other uses.

This smart base combines 5G wireless with industrial IoT (IIoT) and artificial intelligence-powered analytics to:
 

• Accelerate ship-to-shore communications and data transfers
• Support greater use of autonomous vehicles
• Strengthen security systems
• Deliver more advanced, realistic training
• Track asset locations
• Consolidate command and control information