# Beyond 5G

**R-2A activity** of project 230 — Defense Technology Innovation (Beyond 5G)  
**Program element:** 0602230D8Z — Defense Technology Innovation (Beyond 5G)  
**Component:** Defense-Wide · **Budget Activity:** 2  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602230D8Z/230/a0  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602230D8Z

## Summary

This activity requests $43.4M in FY2027, 100% of project 230, up 8.4% on FY2026. The R-2A exhibit describes it across FY2025–FY2027, including what the FY2027 money is planned to buy.

## What the FY2027 request buys

**FY2027 planned work.** Beyond 5G projects for FY 2027 span all Lines of Effort (LOE) for FutureG. Within the Expeditionary and Tactical LOE, projects focus on the maturation of distributed tactical wireless communications and AI-native RAN, including research for AI-defined waveforms in tactical environments. The Ubiquitous, Secure, and Instant Access LOE focuses on security and privacy through encryption in wireless networks and matures non-terrestrial 6G architectures. The Resilient and Open Commercial Solutions LOE includes a portfolio of open-source and open RAN projects to drive commercial innovation and standards for dual-use wireless technologies. Finally, the ISAC LOE focuses research around both data and physics topics critical to realizing object and environmental detection using 6G. Research has a defined migration path for integration into existing fusion and C2 systems. Transitions of ISAC technology will occur through additional features in existing C2 and intelligence systems, open-source software, candidate features for standards, hardware, and workforce development. As ISAC matures, it directly supports capabilities across other FutureG lines of effort.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** The $3.354 million increase from FY 2026 to FY 2027 supports a realignment of the program’s technical schedule and scale-up of the Beyond 5G portfolio to expand scope and execute the established strategic roadmap which structures our operational plan.

## Before the request year

**FY2026 plans — current year.** The Open Centralized Unit Distributed Unit (OCUDU) initiative continues to be a primary focus in FY 2026. This is a seminal year for OCUDU and is the first full year of a three-year program. The OCUDU Software award in FY 2025 sets the stage for feature development and software components of a commercial grade Open Radio Access Network. These features will build on security, reliability, and mobility of the network to be open-sourced, resulting in open architecture CU/DU with an expanded DoW feature set. DoW unique capabilities will be built on top of the open-source infrastructure and will be available through the FutureG.mil portal for use across the force. In FY 2026, OCUDU software will demonstrate an open-source, interoperable CU/DU set. Commercial hardware advances in FY 2025/26 have advanced dual-use capabilities and form a solid basis for FY 2027 open source RAN software integration. The OCUDU Software program, along with commercial hardware, are brought together under the OCUDU Battle RAN program, which acts as a systems integrator to create a DoW Open RAN/open-source reference architecture for use as a base for multiple deployment scenarios. This forms the reference program for integration of DoW unique capabilities for spectrum management and artificial intelligence (AI) components for security, mobility, and access management. Preliminary demonstrations of the OCUDU Battle RAN architecture are planned to support Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) scenarios. Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC) programs will launch around major topic areas. These topic areas are selected through extensive collaboration with both industry and academia to understand the current state of technology. Generally, those areas are built around fixed infrastructure ISAC, airborne ISAC, and mobile ISAC Research continues into capabilities utilizing ambient signals for object and event detection, and how to apply the capability at network and enterprise levels. Lab-based and field research demonstrations are planned to assess ISAC utility within DoW. Capabilities developed under the ISAC portfolio will directly support emerging requirements around Golden Dome for America. Research continues into spectrum sharing and management. Demonstrations are planned for two efforts: 1) Mobile Distributed Multiple Input Multiple Output (dMIMO), which correlates user equipment into groups acting as phased array antennas for low probability of detect/low probability of intercept/anti-jam capabilities, while also avoiding interfered spectrum; 2) Novel interference cancelling capabilities. We continue to support DoW workforce development needs through collaboration with the Naval Postgraduate School and several state National Guard organizations. We additionally support US Service Academies with summer internships in the beyond 5G projects around the world.

**FY2025 accomplishments.** Complete and continue research projects initiated in FY 2023 and FY 2024 with focus on technology transfer and transition commensurate with their technical progress. This includes projects that will establish the following capabilities: 1) Resilient and Open Commercial Solutions (Open 6G Development Environment Open Centralized Unit/Distributed Unit) 2) Ubiquitous, Secure and Instant Access 3) Expeditionary and Tactical Military Use and 4) Integrated Sensing and Communications. Projects to be added to the portfolio support developments in the following technology focus areas: 1. Securing 5G/FutureG for Decision Advantage produces open-source software(OSS), such as the Open Radio Access Network (ORAN) Software Community and the Linux Foundation 5G Super Blueprint (SB), that will gain momentum and transition 5G mobile wireless networks to OSS alternatives. University-led Open 6G experimentation and development is a key innovation and standards enabler. Beyond 5G’s Open Centralized Unit Distributed Unit (OCUDU) initiative will develop solutions across Software, Hardware and Management domains which will: (1) provide a secure 5G OSS baseline to maintain information and decision advantage in a contested environment, and (2) provide an economically viable alternative for U.S. Allies and partners across the globe to proprietary technology. 2. Multi-site FutureG Experimentation enables an environment to: (1) foster the development of FutureG wireless communications technology for increased battlefield interoperability and ensure a skilled workforce, (2) support the development of new multi-domain operating concepts commensurate with emerging commercial spectrum requirements, and (3) build coalitions to influence the development of international wireless communications standards to U.S. advantage.

## Funding

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 27.6 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 40.1 |
| FY2027 | Request | 43.4 |

> Prior, current and budget year only — an R-2A activity carries no five-year plan. It sums exactly into its project in the request year and not necessarily in any other.

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Office of the Secretary of Defense RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibit R-2A, PE 0602230D8Z project 230 (PB PB2027). Narrative is the government's own text.
- **No marks, no contractors at this grain** — congressional marks land on the program element and R-3 performers on the project.
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_activity`.

*HitchAI is an independent intelligence service, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense. Budget figures are requests/estimates, not obligations.*