Kristen Smith 
Skydweller Aero and Nokia Federal Solutions will combine their technologies to demonstrate an airborne 5G private network under a one-year Small Business Innovation Research Phase I contract from the U.S. Navy’s Naval Air Warfare Center – Aircraft Division.
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What Will Skydweller and Nokia Federal Demonstrate?
Awarded under the Intelligent Radio Access Network for Beyond 5G Resilient Tactical Networks program, the contract requires the companies to present a deployable 5G “network-in-a-box” using Skydweller’s Perpetual Flight solar-powered autonomous aircraft integrated with Nokia’s Banshee Flex Radio, a ruggedized 5G private wireless system built for tactical missions, according to a joint press release. The goal is to deliver high-speed, low-latency connectivity in remote or contested environments.
“Increasingly, the remote locations where the U.S. must project force will lack the infrastructure to support modern communications,” said Robert Miller, CEO of Skydweller Aero.
How Will the Project Support Navy Operations?
The SBIR contract will examine how the combined technology can enable adaptive, resilient tactical networks for both manned and unmanned systems, supporting the service’s Distributed Maritime Operations concept. According to the companies, the project may also demonstrate alignment with the Department of Defense’s Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control initiatives.
“By combining Nokia’s state-of-the-art 5G technology with Skydweller’s solar-powered, long-endurance aircraft, we’re unlocking secure, resilient, and high-speed tactical communications from ground to air,” said Scott Ferguson, chief revenue officer at Nokia Federal Solutions.
