As the 5G network continues to roll out globally, industries are developing its successor, the 6G network. This technological leap marks a significant moment in the Great Power Competition, as the US and China vie to dominate the next generation of wireless telecommunications. Future systems, like sixth-generation fighter jets and advanced AI-driven drones, will be highly interconnected, as will the battlefield. Although 6G networks are anticipated to emerge in the 2030s, the US is already working to influence its development. The Department of Defense (DoD) and the United States Air Force view these networks as crucial to national security.
According to Defense News, since transitioning most of its 5G research and development projects to the Chief Information Office last year, the Pentagon's Future Generation Wireless Technology Office has shifted its focus to preparing the Defense Department for 6G. This is increasingly important for the US, which competes with China to shape the future of wireless telecommunications. The open radio access network (O-RAN) represents a critical entry point into a network, accounting for about 80% of its cost. Historically dominated by companies like Huawei, Ericsson, Nokia, and Samsung, O-RAN poses challenges for the DoD due to a lack of US insight and regulation.
A new airworthiness directive may be issued for CRJ jets that have not been upgraded with 5G-resistant radio altimeters. The benefits of 6G for the Air Force are manifold. Warfare is going digital—not merely in the realm of cyber warfare but through kinetic systems like missiles, UAVs, and manned aircraft, which are essentially flying supercomputers requiring vast amounts of real-time data transfer. The next generation of wireless technologies promises greater dependability, higher speeds, and lower latency than current systems, revolutionizing military operations.
The DoD's FutureG Office is tasked with strategic assessment, research, and development of FutureG technologies to provide long-term economic, military, and security advantages for the US and its allies. This office fosters relationships with private industry, academia, and interagency partners to promote common commercial standards for DoD operations, propagates open and interoperable technologies, and advances critical next-generation wireless network capabilities.
Defense News also notes that the FutureG Office explores how 6G could be used for military sensing and monitoring, employing wireless signals to gather environmental data. This capability could enhance the DoD's ISR systems but also poses the risk of adversaries using the same technologies for espionage.
