Lockheed Martin, Nokia, and Verizon push 5G integration

Lockheed Martin, Nokia, and Verizon have successfully advanced military communications through their latest 5G.MIL® collaboration, demonstrating the integration of military-grade 5G solutions into defense operations. The partnership aims to enhance secure, high-speed data transmission and improve situational awareness for military and national security applications. Strategic Perspectives on 5G in Defense John Clark, Senior Vice President of Lockheed Martin Technology & Strategic Innovation, emphasized the growing need for fast and secure communications among the U.S. and its allies. "5G.MIL® integrations like this strategic relationship with Nokia and Verizon will help ensure data is seamlessly routed throughout the battlespace in ways that make future mission success possible," he stated.

Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia, highlighted the adaptability of their 5G solutions. "This successful integration demonstrates Nokia's ability to meet the unique demands of defense, ensuring robust security, optimized size, weight, and power efficiency, while supporting O-RAN and open, interoperable technologies," he said. "Through our work with Lockheed Martin and Verizon, we are bringing the transformative power of 5G to mission-critical defense operations, enhancing situational awareness, speeding up decision-making, and reinforcing mission success."

Successful Demonstrations of 5G.MIL® Integration

The recent series of demonstrations showcased Lockheed Martin's integration of Nokia's military-grade 5G technology into the 5G.MIL Unified Network Solutions ecosystem. These tests successfully merged traditional tactical communications with 5G using an open systems architecture. By leveraging commercial standards and open architectures, the integration ensures that new technologies can be quickly adopted without vendor lock-in.

The initial integration was carried out using Nokia's 5G equipment at Verizon's Boston Innovation Center and Lockheed Martin's Valley Forge laboratory in Pennsylvania. Final integration, testing, and demonstrations took place at Lockheed Martin's facility in Ft. Worth, Texas.

One of the key aspects of the demonstration was the connectivity of hybrid user equipment (HUE), which enables users to switch between commercial 5G and tactical LPx waveforms while maintaining uninterrupted communication. The LPx system provides resistance to detection, interception, exploitation, jamming, geolocation, and spoofing. By integrating Nokia's 5G solutions with Lockheed Martin's 5G.MIL HBS and Verizon's public 5G network, the collaboration is set to enhance the performance, scalability, and security of military and national security wireless networks.

Future Plans for 5G in Defense

The collaboration is set to continue with further integrations, including the incorporation of Nokia's 5G technology at Lockheed Martin's 5G.MIL Experimental Network site in Orlando, Florida, where Verizon's capabilities are already in place. The ongoing development will focus on refining hybrid network solutions, expanding interoperability with tactical communication systems, and strengthening secure public-private network configurations.

By leveraging 5G's low latency, high bandwidth, and secure connectivity, this initiative aims to provide warfighters with real-time data access, advanced situational awareness, and improved operational efficiency. The expanded capabilities will support Joint All Domain Operations, enabling more seamless coordination across military, national security, and homeland defense missions.