WASHINGTON — The Pentagon’s chief information officer will have direct oversight of the department’s 5G efforts as officials seek to eliminate Chinese influence in the communications market.
Fifth-generation wireless technology is seen as essential for national and international connectivity, and millions of dollars of government funding have already been invested in it. U.S. military adoption has been slow, and global competition is fierce, with powerful companies such as Huawei and ZTE vying for space.
Pentagon Chief Information Officer John Sherman announced on May 11 that his office will take command of 5G starting October 1, the start of fiscal year 2024. Several years ago, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering took the lead.
“We’re already working on research and engineering in Left Seat and Right Seat, and we have a very close partnership with Her Royal Highness Heidi Shu and her team,” Sherman said at the Defense Talk conference, just blocks from the Pentagon. ” he said. The Defense 5G Strategy and Implementation Plan was announced in 2020.
The fifth generation promises significantly faster speeds and increased device capacity. The technology also has risks, such as digital entry vectors and expensive or foreign infrastructure, which for many still hasn’t lived up to the hype.
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The Pentagon launched a $600 million 5G test at five military installations a few years ago and has doubled its testing since then. Wireless technology is being used to streamline logistics and make command and control more mobile in so-called smart warehouses, such as those at Naval Base Coronado in California.
Sherman hopes to further expand the pilot toward open radio access networks (O-RAN), which allow components from different companies and suppliers to work together seamlessly.
Sherman said Thursday that work is underway with “a number of U.S. companies,” adding, “We’re not building a closed network like some Chinese companies prefer to do their global marketing here.” “We’re moving away from black boxes and toward more open networks.” It’s an open network, open software approach that American industry can embrace and gain an advantage over. ”
Some of the world’s largest defense contractors by revenue are investing in 5G. Lockheed Martin is working with Verizon, Northrop Grumman with AT&T, General Dynamics Information Technology with T-Mobile, and other partnerships.
Colin Demarest is a reporter for C4ISRNET, covering military networks, cyber, and IT. Colin previously covered the Department of Energy and its National Nuclear Security Administration, including Cold War cleanup and nuclear weapons development, for a daily newspaper in South Carolina. Colin is also an award-winning photographer.
