{"id":25703,"date":"2022-06-22T19:19:20","date_gmt":"2022-06-22T19:19:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2022\/06\/22\/viasat-to-test-5g-networking-for-marine-corps-operations\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T18:03:45","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T18:03:45","slug":"viasat-to-test-5g-networking-for-marine-corps-operations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2022\/06\/22\/viasat-to-test-5g-networking-for-marine-corps-operations\/","title":{"rendered":"Viasat to test 5G networking for Marine Corps operations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 Viasat, a California-based communications company, will experiment with 5G to support U.S. Marine Corps operations and broader command-and-control applications after securing a research award from the Department of Defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over four years, Viasat will explore how 5G networking<\/a> and related technologies can come together to support what are known as expeditionary advanced base operations, or EABO, including needs for long-range precision fires, refueling, rearming, surveillance and reconnaissance, according to a June 15 announcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Viasat, which furnishes satellite and networking capabilities, among other goods, to the U.S. military, won the deal through the Information Warfare Research Project, a consortium that connects industry and academia to develop tech for Navy and Marine Corps missions. It\u2019s the third such award the company won as part of the Pentagon\u2019s $600 million 5G research initiative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cphase 1 awards\u201d for Viasat\u2019s 5G research are worth around $10 million with \u201csubsequent phases for each project to be added on,\u201d a Viasat spokesperson<\/a> said June 16. No location for the research was disclosed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Marine Corps plans to conduct expeditionary advanced base operations in the near future, both for offensive and defensive reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Offensively, small units dispersed widely across a vast area like the South China Sea could scatter a range of sensors throughout, allowing the larger joint force a look inside. They could also ferry weapons closer to an adversary<\/a> and act on targeting data faster or in more innovative ways \u2014 immobilizing an enemy ship instead of sinking it, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defensively, small and scattered units blend in easier with local shipping traffic and topography, making it harder for an enemy to find, target and hit them.<\/p>\n\n\n