Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $19.3 million contract to create a 5G communications network infrastructure testbed for the US Marine Corps.
Dubbed the Open Systems Interoperable and Reconfigurable Infrastructure Solution (OSIRIS), the expeditionary testbed would help identify areas of compatibility between 5G networks and various defense platforms.
The infrastructure testbed would allow for the connection of 5G-ready devices, sensors, and vehicles to explore the military application of commercial 5G technologies.
The OSIRIS is an integral part of the company’s 5G.MIL program designed to “field, scale, and integrate” 5G technology rapidly and affordably across land, water, air, space, and cyber domains.
Lockheed official Deon Viergutz said that the 5G testbed prototype deal would allow the American aerospace firm to ensure that warfighters deployed in communication-denied environments have resilient access to data to perform their missions effectively.
“We are integrating the technical capabilities of 5G waveforms, software, and hardware with higher bandwidth and low-latency data rates into our defense products to enhance their performance for our warfighters,” Viergutz said in a press release.
Representatives from Lockheed and subcontractors such as DISH Wireless, Intel Corporation, Radisys Corporation, and Rampart Communications will be involved in the contract, which is expected to be complete by September 2024.
