How big an impact will 5G have on future military?

The first application scenario of 5G is military communications. From 1G to 4G, it is not as simple as adding 1G, but each time the network speed is increased by 10 times or even hundreds of times. For military equipment that requires large-capacity communication capabilities, the faster the network speed, the better, and the larger the bandwidth, the better. For the "network-centric warfare" proposed by the US military at the end of the last century, this means that each node can receive enemy situation reports more quickly and share battlefield information with each node in the battlefield more quickly. For example, soldiers observing at the front can upload enemy information to early warning aircraft, satellites and control hubs in the rear more quickly, and cruise missiles launched by destroyers can also receive target information faster. It can also better plan and calculate paths, so as to strike enemy targets more accurately and quickly.

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5G technology is not only used in the field of military communications, but more importantly in the field of artificial intelligence, which is currently in the ascendant. Faster computing speeds, smoother communication capabilities, and greater storage capacity have brought more possibilities to unmanned equipment. As more drones, unmanned tanks, unmanned combat ships, etc. are developed by countries around the world, various upgrades to unmanned combat systems have also been brought about. For example, drones have become drone swarms. More powerful operating and processing systems can make drones a group. 5G technology can also be integrated with artificial intelligence to create bug-level unmanned combat aircraft similar to the movie "Top Secret Flight". Now that there are drones like the X-47, it is likely that if we go further, fully intelligent drones or combat robots will be manufactured. Of course, it depends on whether it can pass the "military ethics" or whether people have the willingness.

In addition to more powerful unmanned combat equipment, the benefits of 5G technology also include the enhancement of virtual reality technology. In the past, when people were training, they often needed to find a relatively realistic environment for training. Now with the advent of 5G technology, VR simulation can replace the real scene and highly simulate the scenes that may be encountered in combat. Augmented reality technology can quickly switch scenes, which saves the trouble of finding real scenes and the trouble of imaginary enemy troops thinking hard about how to make realistic scenes. Of course, it is still unlikely that 5G and VR technology will replace the real battlefield. They can only minimize the cost and trouble of troop training and save some training ammunition. If you want to get close to actual combat, you still have to go to the training ground with real swords and guns to experience the wind and rain.

The most important application of 5G technology should actually be cyber warfare. As traditional land, sea and air forces increasingly rely on the use of network technology, the confrontation in cyberspace has become the most important commanding height for the world's major military powers. If Douhet's "Command of the Air" previously determined that whoever has air control has the initiative in battles and even wars since World War II, then whoever wins the commanding heights of network technology in the future will win the initiative in future wars. Whoever can paralyze the opponent's network can catch the opponent off guard, and even make the opponent deaf and dumb, thereby gaining the upper hand in winning the final victory. From this point of view, the commanding heights of 5G technology must be fought for no matter what. Whether for civilian or military use, the core technology must be firmly in one's own hands.