In the rapidly evolving landscape of modern warfare, the importance of electromagnetic or electronic warfare (EW) has become critical as it can determine the outcome of conflicts. As the U.S. faces an increasingly complex global security environment, one of the most pressing challenges is the need to maintain its technological edge in EW. Central to this challenge is the role of big data in the context of RF monitoring and analysis – the ability to collect, process, and analyze vast amounts of information from the electromagnetic spectrum in real time. EW, as an application, requires visibility across the electromagnetic spectrum, which can be accomplished through RF monitoring and analysis.

There exist several challenges and complexities associated with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) migration to 5G communication networks. A series of approaches can be studied to address these challenges to ensure the integration of the various technical components of the 5G infrastructure as well as the secure and reliable operation of 5G networks within the DoD’s infrastructure. These solutions depend heavily on early collaboration between military and commercial stakeholders to avoid proprietary “island” solutions that defeat the opportunity of the unifying network approach. Such initiatives also require cooperation to develop new integration and security guidelines to ensure network visibility and security monitoring, demand network security driven by machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), and require expansion of training and education for the expansive technical skills needed.