Fifth Generation Communications in the National Defense Industrial Strategy Implementation Plan

Published at the end of October, a new implementation plan for the National Defense Industrial Strategy (NDIS-IP) provides concrete guidance for supporting the defense industrial base. The new plan also mentions several information technologies (IT) that the Department of Defense (DOD) believes could be of use while carrying out the plan. Today’s post looks into what the new NDIS-IP has to say about 5G and what it might mean for industry partners.

Initiatives

Largely considered an enabling technology, 5G is mentioned multiple times in the implementation plan. Specifically, the DOD’s FutureG Office is interested in using 5G to develop an Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN). Open RAN can be used to automate manual tasks, in addition to improving operational visibility and configuration management. The DOD also believes that Open RAN can enhance vendor competition, reduce vendor lock-in, reduce supply chain risks, and enhance energy efficiency. Interest in the technology is anticipated to continue for the foreseeable future, so if your company works with it, definitely get in touch with the FutureG Office.

The strategy also notes that the Naval Postgraduate School is playing a central role in investigating 5G wireless network capabilities via a project called Active-Duty Open-Source Development. This project, also linked to the FutureG Office, “seeks to enhance military wireless communication and data transport capabilities” by leveraging 5G. For more information, see this announcement from June 2024.

An important dimension of 5G work to consider is its potential impact on cybersecurity. To that end, the implementation plan lists “Creating Architecture for Defense Industrial Base Cyber Risk” as a key objective, the desired outcome of which “is to foster a defense industrial ecosystem, including for-profit and government-owned, that is adequately shielded from adversarial cyber-attack.”

Key metrics in this regard are 1) Forming the first North American testing facility (Open Testing and Integration Center) certified by the Open RAN Alliance; 2) Increasing market the competitiveness of the U.S.’ 5G industrial base; and 3) Establishing Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) standards by FY 2029.

Addressing Challenges

Interoperability – The DOD wants to leverage Open RAN to spur domestic 5G development. Specifically, the department seeks interoperable solutions that are secure and “unbeholden to single, untrusted vendor networks.”

Maximizing Open RAN – DOD understands the need to financially incentivize development, experimentation, and interoperability testing of Open RAN-based new technologies. Doing so is hoped to address the challenge of “reluctance by the domestic telecommunications industry to invest scarce R&D resources on immature technology, unsupported by capital expenditure models.” In short, the DOD appears poised to substantially increase the investment of R&D funding into developing 5G technology. Further details will be available to industry partners with Top Secret clearance in a forthcoming NDIS-IP Classified Annex.

Summing up, the DOD’s interest in 5G remains high and the NDIS-IP indicates that further investment is coming. For example, just this past Monday the DOD awarded Hughes Network Systems a $6.5M contract to develop an Open RAN prototype at Fort Bliss, Texas. One aspect of all this that industry will need to keep an eye on is the CMMC angle. Standing up CMMC is proving to be a big challenge in its own right. How 5G standards will be finalized as part of CMMC remains unclear, but it will help shape the type of commercial solutions that the DOD finds acceptable.