12 minute read
5G technologies for military applications
Luis Bastos, Principal Scientist at the NCI Agency, explains the context of 5G as an emerging and disruptive technology that is driving a number of new technologies and applications. He also addresses how NATO and nations can benefit from it in day-to-day activities and operations and their associated challenges
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As part of its mission, the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCI Agency) supports NATO transformation and innovation, including assessing technologies and developing innovative concepts to better perform NATO’s mission and maintain its technological edge. As an innovation activity, supported by NATO C3 (command, control, and communication) Staff and Allied Command Transformation’s programmes of work, a talented team in the Agency is investigating the potential of 5G for military applications. The Agency is also developing an ambitious multinational collaboration project in the field with nations, known as MN5G.
5G will not only revolutionise society as a whole, raising a number of challenges and concerns in multiple areas on the way, but will also bring many opportunities for the military. Exploiting those opportunities is challenging and requires significant effort over the long term.
5G IN CONTEXT
5G is the fifth generation of international mobile telecommunications (IMT) technologies that underpin terrestrial cellular mobile communications. Typically, new generations of IMT technologies are introduced every 10 years, each providing significant improvements and structural changes over the previous generation. 4G, for example, introduced mobile broadband internet access. 5G is being developed under a new approach and with a broad ambition (the IMT-2020 Vision), which aims at bringing the internet to wider society. It is not just about faster mobile internet; it is about the totality of communications requirements of a host of different users. These include vehicles, gamers, health systems, industry, safety/emergency services etc.
Furthermore, contrary to previous generations, 5G is being developed collaboratively by industry verticals (very different stakeholders with a common interest in 5G) representing different user communities, with this effort encompassing all the enabling elements.
A common misconception is that 5G is a ‘thing’ to be implemented by network operators. It is not. It is a rich ecosystem with many options and dimensions that are in constant evolution. So far, the current implementations of 5G only address the enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) usage scenario.
Solutions to enable applications such as vehicular communications, augmented reality, control of critical infrastructure, industrial applications and the ubiquitous Internet of Things will be developed and implemented progressively. To do this, 5G brings a number of new groundbreaking technologies and features to the table, which in turn provide opportunities for many interested communities, including the military.
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THE IMT GENERATIONS LEADING TO 5G
G1 G2 G3 4G G5
introduced proprietary cellular mobile analogue voice communications introduced interoperability, digital communications and simple text messaging introduced multimedia services and basic internet access introduced mobile broadband internet access aims to provide the internet to society, addressing diverse usage scenarios
OPPORTUNITIES IN 5G FOR THE MILITARY
5G technologies bring new opportunities to military users in the following areas:
Interoperability: using 5G waveforms and systems as a common denominator in coalition operations or in civil/military operations;
Capability development: using or deploying 5G technologies and/or systems to provide augmentation and cost-effective military capabilities to NATO and nations;
Resilience: using private and public 5G systems for seamless transition between corporate IT and on-the-go connectivity, among other applications.
In addition, owing to the open approach to 5G specification and development, NATO and nations have a unique opportunity to pool their efforts, participate in and influence the continual development of 5G, so that its specifications and standards can also cater for military requirements.
THE NCI AGENCY AND 5G
The NCI Agency’s work on 5G started in 2019 with an independent analysis of 5G technologies and features which might offer opportunities for the military in different contexts. This analysis included the development of reference scenarios in different military application domains such as deployed CIS for expeditionary operations, tactical operations, maritime operations and static communications. For each scenario, the Agency developed different 5G-based technical concepts (system designs). Each concept considers the use of 5G in different ways, for example using private 5G systems or public 5G networks.
The Agency then engaged with the wider community to share and discuss these results – NATO bodies, NATO nations, industry and academia. These discussions confirmed the potential of 5G technologies for military use, despite the associated challenges and the immaturity of many concepts. Without doubt, it has generated the interest of NATO and nations.
In terms of technical work, the current focus is on maintaining a NATO technology watch on 5G and further assessing its potential to support NATO
5G specification and standardization forums, which effectively precludes them from being able to influence the evolution of 5G. Secondly, current work in this area is being conducted in isolation by disparate communities (nations, intergovernmental organizations and industry) each addressing topics differently. This disparity impedes the emergence of an enabling market of 5G-based military products and applications, which in turn prevents the military from realizing the aforementioned benefits.
The NCI Agency believes that there is significant work involved in transforming the opportunities of 5G into tangible benefits for military users, and that, only via concerted efforts between NATO and the nations, can critical mass be achieved, and tangible results be obtained.
US Marine Corps operate the Instant Eye Small Unmanned Air System, which relies on 5G communications
technology (PHOTOS: CPL TIMOTHY LUTZ, DIVIDS)
expeditionary operations and maritime communications. In parallel, the Agency is also facilitating the establishment of a multinational project (MN5G) to exploit 5G’s potential for military applications, including effectively following and influencing the development of 5G standards to cater for military interests.
MILITARY 5G CHALLENGES
Although 5G’s potential for military applications has been demonstrated and is now acknowledged, there are two main challenges involved in exploiting that potential. Firstly, military stakeholders are not currently represented at key
LOOKING FORWARD
NATO and nations are at a crossroads with regard to 5G:
5G will be dominating future civil telecommunications networks and societies
NATO and national policymakers need to stay abreast of this technology and of its characteristics for informed decision-making. However, the technology is complex and is evolving very rapidly;
NATO and national capability development can benefit significantly from 5G technologies
However, there are significant efforts involved in developing and maturing those concepts;
NATO and the nations are interested in cooperating on the development of military applications of 5G
However, putting together a multinational effort is a complex task that may not be compatible with the speed of 5G evolution.
The NCI Agency can support NATO and the nations in a combined effort to inform and influence 5G development (including on security aspects) and develop 5G-based military concepts and architectures. That effort is being established by Alliance nations and the Agency under the multinational MN5G initiative. Despite the undoubted challenges, the Agency wholeheartedly supports these efforts and the prospects are looking good. Click or
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Additional information about the MN5G initiative is available through the QR code to the right 97
INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE
Philippe Agard
Global head of Defence Market segment, Nokia
What services does Nokia deliver to NATO and how do they enhance the organization’s capability?
Ken Spruyt: Many people associate Nokia with mobile-phone manufacture, but we have a long history of providing networks and network technology going back decades. Consequently, we have a significant footprint in the serviceprovider sector and across industry in general.
This gives us a very significant presence on all Alliance Member States’ communications networks and NATO itself – both directly and indirectly. In addition, more than 1,300 industry customers use our communications technology for critical national infrastructure, in areas as diverse as public safety, defence, railways, power utilities and so on.
With increasing international tensions and cyber security threats, the importance of having best-inclass C4ISR (command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) systems to keep a strategic advantage is more crucial than ever. NATO is very active in this domain and we are eager to keep on working with the NCI Agency on some of its programmes.
Technology is central to our response. Thanks to our leadership position in not just Private 4G and 5G wireless, but also mission-critical optics and internet protocol (IP)/multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) offerings worldwide, we are very well placed. We are not complacent, though. Nokia is constantly innovating with new technologies and applications, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and embedded security. And, let’s not forget, Nokia is also at the forefront of the race to develop 6G.
Ken Spruyt
NATO Account Director, Nokia
Why is 5G significant to an organization such as NATO?
Philippe Agard: The global defence community recognizes that the civilian ICT industry continues to innovate and make hugely significant technological developments. Over the past two decades, Nokia alone has invested more than 130 billion euros on communications R&D. If you look at what 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) and 5G bring to the table, the breadth of innovation is enormous. Without doubt, this can deliver incredible technological advantage, augmenting the existing radio technologies currently in use by the military. That said, 5G should not be seen purely as a radio technology, because it embraces a lot of innovation in the core and across the full end-toend communication scenario. It encompasses network function virtualization, the cloud and mobile edge computing, to name but a few aspects of its undoubted changes. It really is a transformational technology and I think the defence sector understands that it can benefit hugely from 5G.
5G offers much more spectrum, and in our portfolio we have 5G radios ranging from 600 MHz up to 28GHz, providing a huge choice of 3GGP standardized spectrum solutions. Some of these bands overlap with what many NATO nations have allocated for defence applications, so they have options to benefit from these off-the-shelf radios.
They could also decide to opt for another exciting 5G possibility – slicing. With slicing, a country’s ministry of defence could ask their service provider/telecom operator to offer them a slice of their network that is adapted exactly to their needs, thus creating a sort of fully isolated virtual network that could be applicable for a smart base. What I mean is, if, in some cases, they don’t want to go down the route of procuring a dedicated 5G network – or if they don’t have access to enough spectrum – they could request a slice of 5G that would give them a virtual 5G network of their own.
Are there any quick wins that 5G can offer the military community?
Ken Spruyt: As you know, the military is developing a new concept of
operations, and military planners want to leverage the Internet of Things (IoT), as well as introduce autonomous systems on land, at sea and in the air. In short, they want to take full advantage of the benefits that AI, autonomy, machine learning and deep learning can bring to operations. At Nokia, we are confident that 5G has the potential to support them in leveraging all these new technologies as a kind of holistic network architecture underpinning all their systems.
Another interesting quick win relates to the benefits that 5G can provide on military bases – the so-called ‘Smart Base’ concept. Nokia is heavily involved in similar developments across many industries. Here we can take some of the innovations that we bring to industry 4.0 and transfer them to the military.
A great example of this is our project with the Finnish cargo handling experts, Kalmar, to introduce video and haptic (touch technology) feedback to crane operators to help them with more efficient and safer ship loading and unloading. Another example is at the ports of Bruges and Antwerp in Belgium, where we have successfully demonstrated 5G connectivity with a semi-autonomous vessel sailing between the two ports. We are also working on asset tracking, precise vehicle location and ship-toshore communications – all of these civil maritime applications are just as applicable for naval ports. It is incredibly transferable. In the air domain, Nokia is helping Brussels Airport use beyond-line-ofsight unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), piloted via 4G, for runway inspections and perimeter security – again, this is well suited to military air bases. We are also working in Germany with Lufthansa, using augmented reality to improve aircraft maintenance activities.
What does it take to make this technology suitable for military uses?
Philippe Agard: 5G provides an incredibly short response time (in other words, the time it takes for data to travel from point to point and back) and it handles multiple traffic types – voice, video, data, massive IoT... This is very good for things like Smart Bases, automation and autonomy. So, there is huge potential, but we need a deep dialogue with the military and defence sector to reveal 5G’s full potential to address their use cases.
We know, for example, that there is a requirement to develop enhanced situational awareness for the military across all its operating domains: land, sea, air, space and cyber. 5G can play a vital role in achieving that, and Nokia already has experience with 4G in all these domains, I think we can use this experience and expertise to deliver 5G throughout the military, but we need to explore the ‘art of the possible’ together, through industry dialogue or initial 5G pilot projects. 4G is already deployed in naval ships, army bases and homeland security use cases; 5G can augment this further.
We understand that 4G and 5G will be a key building block of broader C4ISR systems. So, we have engagement with several defence contractors that have deep know-how of military usages and systems, to integrate our technology in a defence environment. For instance, one of these contractors has ruggedized some of our equipment to bring it to the field as a test-deployable communication system.
When you look at the type of sensors that the military use, they are often proprietary, but they are all using transmission control protocol (TCP)/IP technology so we can run them on 5G networks. That would bring improved support and better interoperability between different forces.
However, standard technology always has specific military needs, so we are working with multiple partners to make that happen. Nobody can do it on their own. Nokia is eager to engage further with military organizations that want to discover the potential of 5G and develop the right use case for them.
