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Nokia Federal Solutions and Lockheed Martin announced the launch of a new modular, open‑architecture 5G solution built for the U.S. and allied defense forces. The capability is designed to deliver secure, resilient communications at the point of need. It enables military vehicles and platforms to use commercial-grade 5G in operational environments, aligned to the Department of War (DoW) open architecture standards and its commercial-first strategy.
“Nokia recognizes the need to adapt our advanced technology portfolio to align with DoW-defined open systems,” said Mike Loomis, president and chief executive officer of Nokia Federal Solutions. “This launch reflects how Nokia is building focused defense capabilities, leveraging our commercial technology and strong partnerships into a meaningful, ready-to-use solution that is deployable by our defense customers.”
The new solution integrates Nokia’s carrier‑grade 5G within the DoW’s open architecture framework, utilizing the Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (C5ISR)/Modular Open Suite of Standards (CMOSS). By aligning to CMOSS hardware and software module specifications, this plug‑and‑play architecture reduces complexity and accelerates integration across vehicle and expeditionary systems, improves interoperability, and enables new capabilities to be introduced and updated without disrupting existing platforms.
“Moving advanced communications from concept into the field requires discipline, scale, and an understanding of how defense systems are built and sustained,” said Sarah Hiza, senior vice president for Technology and Strategic Innovation at Lockheed Martin. “This collaboration is about rapidly delivering capability that can be deployed, sustained and trusted over the long term.”
By combining Nokia’s commercial 5G technologies with Lockheed Martin’s 5G.MIL® solutions, the companies are delivering a hybrid network that allows mission‑critical systems to connect with high‑speed, cost‑effective, commercially driven 5G while maintaining the security and resilience required by defense forces. As NATO nations increasingly integrate 5G into their mission systems, this CMOSS-aligned approach provides an additional pathway to incorporate commercial grade 5G into allied platforms using a standardized, modular framework also outside of the United States.
This announcement represents a key follow-on milestone from the Nokia and Lockheed Martin collaboration first announced in 2025, which introduced the initial integration of Nokia’s industry-leading, military-grade 5G solutions with Lockheed Martin’s Hybrid Base Station. Together, the companies are moving beyond integration demonstrations to deliver a field‑ready, modular 5G capability aligned with DoW open architecture standards and deployable across military vehicles and platforms.
The CMOSS standard is developed and maintained by the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command. Through this new solution, Nokia Federal and Lockheed Martin are moving standards-based 5G from concept to deployable reality. The collaboration reflects a shared focus on delivering practical, mission-ready technology that can be integrated quickly and evolve alongside operational requirements.
