ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. (May 22, 2026) — The Army’s R&D advancements in 5G network capability are delivering advancements for the 25th Infantry Division’s communications infrastructure during recent exercises, supporting the evolution of the service’s Next-Generation Command and Control (NGC2) prototype effort.
As part of the 25th ID’s Lightning Surge experimentation series at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, Army researchers and acquisition teams are integrating commercial 5G technology to significantly improve operational connectivity, leading to command and control breakthroughs. During Lightning Surge 2, Soldiers successfully executed a realistic battlefield test of the division’s modernization objective to complete the first end-to-end simulated fires mission on an M777 Howitzer over a private 5G network.
Data and Soldier feedback from the exercise are being used in support of Lightning Surge 3, in the Philippines, and to inform other NGC2 exercises, including the Ivy Sting exercise series supported by the 4th Infantry Division. The Army’s Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center and acquisition stakeholders partnered with the 25th Infantry Division and industry to integrate the 5G capability into the NGC2 ecosystem for successful assessments.
“Our research in networking and communications is enabling the Army to develop the technological infrastructure to establish NGC2,” C5ISR Center Director Beth Ferry said. “Coupled with real-world operational feedback, the C5ISR Center’s technical expertise is driving solutions for some of the Army’s most complex network challenges.”
Together, this Army team-of-teams demonstrated a tangible method for modernizing legacy platforms by bridging them with next-generation communication pathways while addressing 25th ID’s critical learning demands, said Emanuel Merulla, a C5ISR Center senior engineer who leads the project’s research.
“The hands-on training with 25th ID Soldiers produced an immediate feedback loop that allowed rapid refinement of the concept of operations on-site, ensuring the capability was not just technically functional but operationally trusted and understood by the end user,” Merulla said.
Forward observers used a digital device to send target data into the network, which appeared on a shared common operating picture at the command post. Transitioning to an automated digital process eliminated the need for manual data entry into the fires system, which enabled a significant improvement in accuracy, lethality and survivability while shortening the time it takes to execute the mission. Concurrently, personnel transmitted electronic warfare sensor data over the same 5G network, demonstrating the system’s versatility.
The C5ISR Center has led the Army’s adaptation of 5G technology for tactical use, working closely with industry and Army partners, according to the Center’s 5G lead Mike Piesen. Scientists and engineers are experimenting, testing and refining 5G capabilities in the lab and during events such as the Army’s annual Network Modernization Experiment in New Jersey.
“Advancements allow for more connected devices to the network with faster real-time data processing. As the Army matures 5G capabilities, the goal is to keep units interconnected despite austere conditions, environmental and geographical challenges, or interference from enemy forces,” Piesen said. “As the military brings robotics, unmanned aerial systems, and autonomous platforms into the same area of the battlefield, the high spectral efficiency of 5G becomes critical.”
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The U.S. Army Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center is the Army’s applied research and advanced technology development center for C5ISR capabilities. As the Army’s primary integrator of C5ISR technologies and systems, DEVCOM C5ISR Center supports our networked Warfighters by identifying, developing, maturing, and rapidly integrating innovative technologies to drive continuous transformation.
DEVCOM C5ISR Center is an asset of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command. DEVCOM is the Futures and Concepts Command’s leader and integrator within a global ecosystem of scientific exploration and technological innovation. DEVCOM expertise spans seven major competency areas to provide integrated research, development, analysis and engineering support to the Army and Department of War. From rockets to robots, drones to dozers, and aviation to artillery, DEVCOM innovation is at the core of the combat capabilities American Warfighters need to win on the battlefield of the future. For more information, visit c5isrcenter.devcom.army.mil.
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