Future Technologies Joins Nokia on DoW RAPID ISAC Project
Future Technologies joins the Nokia Federal Solutions team on the Department of War's RAPID project, bringing range integration experience to ISAC-based drone detection.
Future Technologies Venture, LLC is part of the Nokia Federal Solutions team awarded a contract under the Department of War's (DoW) RAPID project. The project is managed by the FutureG Office within the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSW(R&E)).
The operational need
Unmanned aerial systems are a growing concern for military installations, test ranges, and critical infrastructure. Operators need to detect them early and track them reliably. Most installations already run cellular networks, and RAPID (Real-World Application Prototyping for ISAC Demonstration) asks whether those networks can do double duty: carry communications and sense what is moving through the airspace.
The approach
Nokia Federal will develop, build, and test integrated sensing and communications (ISAC) capabilities and demonstrate an end-to-end solution. Built on Nokia's AI-RAN platform, the system will combine multiple sensing modalities and sensor fusion with Nokia and third-party applications for sensing and spectrum threat awareness. The aim is a more complete picture of potential UAV threats, using 5G infrastructure today and 6G networks in the future. Subcontractors on the effort include Nokia affiliates, Texas Tech University, DeepSig, Hidden Level, and Future Technologies.
Our role
Future Technologies was selected based on our continued support to DoW test and training ranges and our experience delivering private communications networks for the military. That work includes:
- Test-range connectivity for sensor networks and command-and-control links
- Training-range connectivity for voice and data
- Access to local cyber range environments
On a range, sensors, networks, and operators have to work as one system under real mission conditions. A demonstration like RAPID depends on that integration being done right: sensors placed and connected correctly, backhaul engineered for the data load, and command-and-control links that hold up during testing.
We also bring direct ISAC experience to the team. Our Chief Operating Officer, Sarah Campbell, was the Principal Investigator leading early ISAC work at George Mason University. Her research background, combined with our range integration experience, gives the team a system integrator that understands both the technology and the operating environment.
Looking ahead
ISAC can turn existing network infrastructure into a layer of threat awareness for force protection and critical asset defense. Future Technologies looks forward to supporting Nokia Federal Solutions and the FutureG Office as the RAPID team designs, tests, and validates that capability.
Critical Connectivity. Built Right.™
Frequently asked questions
RAPID (Real-World Application Prototyping for ISAC Demonstration) is a Department of War program managed by the FutureG Office that tests whether existing cellular networks on military installations can be used for both communications and detection of unmanned aerial systems.
Future Technologies is a subcontractor to Nokia Federal Solutions, contributing test-range and training-range connectivity experience, cyber range access, and system integration support for sensors, networks, and command-and-control links.
ISAC stands for integrated sensing and communications, an approach that combines sensing modalities and sensor fusion on existing 5G (and future 6G) network infrastructure to detect and track threats such as drones.
