Home Americas Pentagon contracts Lockheed to develop OSIRIS 5G comms testbed

Pentagon contracts Lockheed to develop OSIRIS 5G comms testbed

Pentagon 5G communication OSIRIS
Photo: Lockheed Martin

The US Department of Defense has awarded Lockheed Martin a $19.3 million prototype project agreement (PPA) to create a 5G communications network infrastructure testbed.

As explained, the testbed will be used for expeditionary operations experimentation by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD R&E) and the US Marine Corps.

Known as Open Systems Interoperable and Reconfigurable Infrastructure Solution (OSIRIS), the testbed is a key initiative of Lockheed Martin’s 5G.MIL programs which the companies says are positioned to help its customers field, scale and integrate 5G technology rapidly and affordably across all operations on land, water, in air, space and cyber.

“OSIRIS will serve as a critical proof point of Lockheed Martin’s 5G.MIL capabilities,” says Deon Viergutz, vice president, Lockheed Martin Spectrum Convergence.

“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.”

The OSIRIS program will help address the need for test facilities that enable rapid experimentation and dual-use application prototyping. The testbed will identify areas for further compatibility between 5G network and DOD platforms that will enhance operator capabilities.

The infrastructure will also allow for the connection of various 5G-ready user devices, sensors, vehicles and endpoints to explore the military utility of commercial 5G technologies and pave the way for onboarding of new technologies from other OUSD investments while addressing cybersecurity requirements. This capability will further enable and advance DOD’s Joint All Domain Operations concept.

Teams from Lockheed Martin, along with subcontractors DISH Wireless, Intel Corporation, Radisys Corporation and Rampart Communications, Inc., will create the 5G network testbed infrastructure at US Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.