SAN DIEGO and DALLAS — The defense contractor Northrop Grumman and AT&T are working on 5G-enabled defense capabilities for the U.S.
Northrop Grumman and AT&T Communications, part of AT&T, entered into a collaboration agreement to research and develop a “digital battle network” to support the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), according to AT&T last month.
The digital battle network will be powered by AT&T 5G and Northrop Grumman’s advanced mission systems.
The partnership is intended to deliver a scalable, open architecture network that will help the DoD connect distributed sensors, shooters, and data from all domains, terrains and forces. The partners believe the connections will be similar to how smart devices connect and share everyday data.
The digital battle network will be designed to combine the high speeds, low latency and cybersecurity of private 5G networks with the flexibility and scalability of AT&T’s commercial 5G capabilities to provide a “critical capability” for the DoD’s Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2).
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The U.S.’ Joint Force is comprised of the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, and Space Force.
The agreement establishes a joint research and development framework to prototype, demonstrate, and test the integration of AT&T’s commercial 5G networking capabilities with Northrop Grumman’s portfolio. The partners consider the capabilities from Northrop Grumman to be at the “forefront of military technological advancement” for the Joint Force.
“Information advantage”
“Our 5G capabilities can help the Department of Defense achieve operational and information advantage when it matters most — protecting our country and freedoms around the globe,” said Lance Spencer, client EVP of defense, AT&T Public Sector and FirstNet, AT&T.
“By bringing our 5G services together with Northrop Grumman’s powerful avionics and defense systems, we expect to create an ideal platform to deliver DoD’s JADC2 vision.”
Northrop Grumman’s collaboration with AT&T brings together “some of the best capabilities in defense and commercial communications to meet the evolving requirements of JADC2,” said Ben Davies, VP and GM, networked information solutions division, Northrop Grumman.
“The enhanced connectivity and networking of information that 5G provides are a great advantage in a military environment and will help the DoD in the development of high-performing and intuitive technologies that quickly and seamlessly share data across a myriad of secure networks,” Davies said.
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