South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics Co. said Tuesday it will join hands with local mobile carrier KT Corp. to build a private fifth-generation (5G) network for the country's Navy to bolster its defense capabilities. The two companies plan to complete the deployment of a more "intelligent" and "fully independent" 5G network and solutions for the Navy's "Smart Naval Port" project by the end of next year, according to Samsung Electronics. The Navy's project is aimed at improving its battleship and base operation support capabilities and achieving comprehensive base defense, according to Samsung. The smart and artificial intelligence enabled solutions will be essential in supporting the national defense sectors, which require ultrafast speeds and hyper-connected communications, the company said in a press release. Samsung and KT will also collaborate to establish a comprehensive information and communications technology infrastructure that encompasses 13 different systems for the Navy, including uncre wed vehicle operation, armory management and ammunition depot management. The infrastructure also includes a digital twin of the smart naval base, an intelligent security monitoring system and a one-stop battleship operation management system. "In collaboration with KT, we are excited to deploy Korea's first private 5G at a naval base," said Simon Lee, vice president and head of the business development group at Samsung Electronics. Source: Yonhap News Agency