Skydweller Aero and Nokia Federal Solutions Win US Navy Contract to Develop Airborne Tactical Network Beyond 5G
by Simon Mansfield
Sydney, Australia (SPX) October 31, 2025
Skydweller Aero and Nokia Federal Solutions Inc. have been awarded a US Navy Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract to demonstrate an airborne 5G communications center designed for secure and resilient networks in contested environments.
The project, titled Intelligent Radio Access Network for Resilient Tactical Networks Beyond 5G, will use Skydweller’s Perpetual Flight solar-powered autonomous aircraft to support a reconfigurable communication system. This aerial solution aims to provide a deployable 5G network-in-a-box that offers robust, low-latency connectivity where infrastructure is limited or unavailable.
Robert Miller, CEO of Skydweller Aero, said: “Increasingly, remote locations where the United States must project force will lack the infrastructure to support modern communications. This program demonstrates how Skydweller’s autonomous, perpetual aircraft can deliver ‘instant infrastructure,’ providing our customers with faster, more flexible connectivity while reducing cost and complexity compared to traditional solutions.”
Nokia Federal will supply its Banshee Flex Radio, a robust 5G private wireless solution initially designed for tactical use and now adapted for aerial operations. Scott Ferguson, chief revenue officer at Nokia Federal Solutions, said: “By combining Nokia’s next-generation 5G technology with Skydweller’s long-endurance solar-powered aircraft, we are unlocking secure, resilient, high-speed ground-to-air tactical communications.”
The contract explores how this technology can enable adaptive and resilient tactical networks to support manned and unmanned systems within the Navy’s Distributed Maritime Operations concept. It can also align with the Department of Defense’s Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control initiatives.
The Naval Air Warfare Center – Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) awarded this Phase I SBIR contract, which runs from November 2025 to November 2026. The value of the contract was not disclosed.
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