5G O-RAN Potential for Military Communications

Unlike previous generations of mobile communications, 5G is designed for more than smartphones. The low latency and high data rates, combined with the secure and reliable communications that a 5G system can provide, are useful for a wide variety of special-purpose scenarios, including military applications. The military community has been investigating the potential of 5G and showing interest in this type of technology through various publications and demonstrations. However, the open Radio Access Network (RAN), as an emerging paradigm, is still barely explored by the military scientific community. O- RAN principles and new architecture offer key opportunities and enablers for using 5G systems in military applications and boost the design of new use cases. This paper first presents an overview of the O-RAN paradigm and architecture, with a view of their potential for military applications. Then, a technical review of a military perspective of O-RAN use cases is provided, concluding with recommendations to accelerate technology maturation and potential adoption in the military ecosystem. This paper was originally presented at the NATO Science and Technology Organization Symposium (ICMCIS) organized by the Information Systems Technology (IST) Panel, IST-200 RSY - the ICMCIS, held in Skopje, North Macedonia, 16–17 May 2023.