JBSA-Electromagnetic Defense Initiative News
502nd Air Base Wing keeps communication lines open with area chambers
July 23, 2021
502nd Air Base Wing Chamber Summit

DOD budget request boosts research, nuclear modernization, includes 2.7% pay raise
May 28, 2021
Marines march in formation.

Exciting future awaits DOD medicine
April 29, 2021
Bulls-eye graphic 5G

JBSA experiments with 5G Telemedicine, Medical Training
April 28, 2021
San Antonio with 5G representation lines.

San Antonio-Electromagnetic Defense collaborative marks two-year anniversary
March 21, 2021
The SA-EMD was created by the Joint Base San Antonio-Electromagnetic Defense Initiative and has grown from a concept to a vibrant coalition of nearly 400 subject matter experts, community leaders, researchers, educators and many more.

Power grid protection at forefront of San Antonio, JBSA electromagnetic defense initiatives
January 12, 2021
CPS Energy’s Vice President of Grid Transformation & Engineering, Richard Medina, front, and Chief Security, Safety & Gas Solutions Officer Fred Bonewell evaluate security measures at an area substation.

DOD's inaugural foray into 5G experimentation on track
January 6, 2021
The Department of Defense has taken historic action to advance the application of 5G communications for America's warfighters.

Defense against electromagnetic pulse priority for SA-EMD
October 1, 2020
Michael Lovell, executive director of the Joint Base San Antonio-Electromagnetic Defense Initiative and 5G program executive, speaks to attendees of the San Antonio-Electromagnetic Defense quarterly meeting held virtually Sept. 29, 2020, due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Military, civilian collaboration vital to establishing 5G at JBSA
June 12, 2020
JBSA 5G

SA-EMD participants meet to discuss progress, 5G implementation
June 8, 2020
The San Antonio-Electromagnetic Defense collaborative, in conjunction with the Joint Base San Antonio-Electromagnetic Defense Initiative, held their spring quarterly meeting June 3 with a mixture of in-person and virtual participants at the University of Texas San Antonio National Security Collaboration Center, or NSCC.

Joint Base San Antonio-Electromagnetic Defense Initiative
Mission 
“Ensure JBSA continues military operations in a post Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) environment” 

   • Create EMP Resiliency Model to Replicate Across DoD 
   • Build on Dissuasion Strategy to prevent EMP as a Weapon 
   • 5G Network Risks & Opportunities

JBSA 5G Program


Joint Base San Antonio 5G is the largest 5G experiment site under the OUSD R&E 5G experiments, with two large programs. The first is for 5G in telemedicine and Medical Training. The second is focused on 5G Core Capabilities and 5G Security. 

DOD 5G Strategy

5G Objectives

DoD requires access to resilient, and protected 5G capabilities and spectrum. Therefore, the DoD will support national efforts to:

  1. Advance U.S. and partner 5G capabilities,
  2. Promote awareness of 5G risks to national security,
  3. Develop approaches to protect 5G infrastructure and technologies.

Given the breadth of these challenges, the DoD must collaborate closely with other U.S. Departments and Agencies, industry, academia, Congress, allies, and partners to ensure success.

5G Lines of Effort

The following are necessary lines of effort to achieve the key outcomes: 

  1. Promote technology development,
  2. Assess, mitigate, and operate through 5G vulnerabilities,
  3. Influence 5G standards and policies,
  4. Engage partners.

5G technologies are strategic capabilities that will impact the U.S. economic and national security and those of our allies and partners. If DoD acts with urgency, it can utilize its unique partnerships, expertise, and resources to accelerate 5G innovation and deployment, including leading edge millimeter-wave and spectrum sharing technologies in support of DoD’s enduring missions. This will help ensure that the U.S. military, the American public, and our allies and partners have access to the best 5G systems, services, and applications in the world.

Domestic Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations
The JBSA-EMP Domestic Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations working group will release an EMP resiliency guide for communities in June. The guide will include information on electromagnetic-related threats and a discussion on how communities can evaluate their resiliency maturity to those threats. The guide will be distributed to cities nationwide for their use in planning for EMP defense.