As part of its efforts to advance future battlefield connectivity, Lockheed Martin [LMT] in partnership with Intel Corp. [INTC] has successfully conducted a laboratory demonstration of military tactical radios integrated into the company’s fifth-generation wireless military technology, paving the way for flight testing in 2023 of crewed and uncrewed aircraft for distributed teaming.
In the recent demonstration, Intel integrated a 5G Core and Open Radio Access Network into Lockheed Martin’s 5G.MIL Hybrid Base Station to show over-the-air connectivity that can be transitioned to military aircraft. The technology was hosted on ruggedized computers that can be used in fighter and other aircraft.
“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,” John Clark, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, said in a statement. “The Lockheed Martin 5G.MIL HBS was designed using open mission systems standards so that the technology can on-ramp to multiple and varied platforms quickly in support of our customers’ transformation vision.”
Lockheed Martin said that the flight testing in 2023 will be part of the company’s Project Carrera, an evaluation of 5G distributed crewed and uncrewed military aircraft platforms in support of the Defense Department’s vision of joint all-domain operations.