- Skydweller Aero and Nokia Federal Solutions were awarded a U.S. Navy SBIR contract to demonstrate an airborne 5G communication system using a solar-powered drone.
- The program will test a reconfigurable 5G "Network-in-a-Box" for tactical use in denied or infrastructure-limited environments.
Skydweller Aero and Nokia Federal Solutions have announced they were selected by the U.S. Navy for a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract to demonstrate an airborne 5G communication hub capable of supporting military operations in denied or infrastructure-limited environments.
According to a joint announcement issued October 29, the initiative—officially titled “Intelligent Radio Access Network for Beyond 5G Resilient Tactical Networks”—will use Skydweller’s solar-powered autonomous aircraft as a persistent communications platform. The aircraft will carry a reconfigurable 5G cellular “Network-in-a-Box,” intended to deliver secure, low-latency connectivity for tactical units operating in contested areas.
“Increasingly, the remote locations where the U.S. must project force will lack the infrastructure to support modern communications,” said Robert Miller, CEO of Skydweller Aero. “This program demonstrates how Skydweller’s autonomous, perpetual aircraft can deliver ‘instantaneous infrastructure’—giving our customers faster, more flexible connectivity while reducing cost and complexity compared with traditional solutions.”
Nokia Federal Solutions will contribute its Banshee Flex Radio to the demonstration. The system is described as a ruggedized 5G private wireless platform originally developed for tactical ground operations, and recently adapted for airborne applications.
“By combining Nokia’s state-of-the-art 5G technology with Skydweller’s solar-powered, long-endurance aircraft, we’re unlocking secure, resilient, and high-speed tactical communications from ground to air,” said Scott Ferguson, Chief Revenue Officer at Nokia Federal Solutions.
The effort will assess how this hybrid system supports the Navy’s Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO) concept, including integration with both manned and unmanned systems in joint scenarios. The companies say the project may also contribute to the Department of War’s Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) framework.
The U.S. Navy’s Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) awarded the SBIR Phase I contract, which runs from November 2025 to November 2026. The financial terms were not disclosed.
The Skydweller platform, derived from a solar-powered endurance aircraft, is being developed to fly continuously for months without refueling or onboard crew. Its utility as an airborne relay hub aligns with the Pentagon’s push to field resilient communications in highly contested battlespaces.
As noted by the company, the upcoming demonstration will allow the Navy to evaluate the feasibility of aerial 5G relay systems that could be quickly deployed without relying on terrestrial infrastructure. If successful, the technology could support operational needs in remote theaters and during the early stages of force projection or disaster response.
The partnership between Skydweller Aero and Nokia Federal is expected to support further testing and system maturation ahead of future Department of War procurement efforts.