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AI-Based Spectrum Sharing for Radar and 5G
Smart spectrum management system developed by RTX subsidiary to enable coexistence between national security radars and commercial 5G networks.
www.rtx.com
BBN Technologies, a business of RTX, has been awarded a contract under the U.S. Department of War’s Advanced Spectrum Coexistence Demonstration program to develop an AI-driven platform that enables real-time spectrum sharing between critical radar systems and commercial 5G networks.
The coexistence challenge
As demand for wireless connectivity grows, commercial 5G networks increasingly operate in frequency bands historically used by national security radar systems. Shared spectrum use introduces interference risks that can degrade radar detection performance or disrupt 5G service quality.
Existing spectrum coexistence tools can require tens of minutes to detect interference, negotiate new allocations and reconfigure radios. These delays create operational vulnerabilities for both military and civilian systems, particularly in safety-critical scenarios.
Smart spectrum management architecture
In the program’s first phase, the BBN-led team will develop a basic “smart spectrum manager.” This system is designed to detect active radar operation, assess potential interference from 5G transmissions and automatically redirect 5G traffic within seconds to avoid conflicts.
The second phase will evolve the concept into an advanced prototype incorporating automated rule-based optimization. The objective is to create a self-managing platform capable of dynamic spectrum allocation with minimal human intervention, supporting reliable side-by-side operation of radar and 5G systems.
Performance targets
The project aims to deliver measurable improvements in spectrum efficiency and interference mitigation. Stated objectives include:
- A 50% increase in usable commercial 5G capacity.
- A 20 dB reduction in unwanted interference to radar systems.
- A 1,000-fold improvement in 5G link quality during shared operation.
To accelerate operational adoption, the team will also provide a “sandbox” version of the spectrum access system deployable in cloud or edge environments, enabling transition from laboratory validation to real-world testing.
Multi-organization collaboration
The program brings together specialized expertise across radar systems, telecommunications and signal processing:
Multi-organization collaboration
The program brings together specialized expertise across radar systems, telecommunications and signal processing:
- Raytheon Advanced Technology will supply radar signals and test infrastructure.
- Ericsson Federal Technologies Group will contribute 5G network expertise.
- Signal Processing Technologies will provide interference cancellation and localization techniques.
- Federated Wireless will contribute dynamic spectrum management capabilities.
- Purdue University will develop advanced signal processing and machine learning models.
- Novowi will provide machine learning–based real-time spectrum sensing and security analysis.
BBN will integrate these components into a unified system architecture and incorporate a risk management function to balance impacts on incumbent radar and commercial 5G operations.
Strategic implications
By reducing interference response times from minutes to seconds and automating spectrum management decisions, the initiative addresses a long-standing policy and engineering dilemma: expanding commercial wireless capacity while safeguarding critical radar operations.
If validated, the smart spectrum manager would support both national security readiness and digital economy growth. Work on the program will be conducted across multiple U.S. locations, including Massachusetts, Texas, Virginia, New Hampshire and Indiana, under an Other Transaction agreement between the National Spectrum Consortium and the U.S. Government.
Strategic implications
By reducing interference response times from minutes to seconds and automating spectrum management decisions, the initiative addresses a long-standing policy and engineering dilemma: expanding commercial wireless capacity while safeguarding critical radar operations.
If validated, the smart spectrum manager would support both national security readiness and digital economy growth. Work on the program will be conducted across multiple U.S. locations, including Massachusetts, Texas, Virginia, New Hampshire and Indiana, under an Other Transaction agreement between the National Spectrum Consortium and the U.S. Government.
