NATO Tests 5G Drone Detection and Cross-Border Counter-UAS Integration in Latvia

NATO has completed a major defense technology experimentation program in Latvia, testing how commercial 5G networks, satellite communications and integrated counter-drone systems could improve military operations across allied countries.

The Digital Backbone eXperimentation (DiBaX 2026), held from October 19 to 30, brought together NATO military personnel, national armed forces and more than 60 technology partners. Participating companies included Ericsson, Nokia, Thales and TEKEVER, with Latvian telecommunications company LMT Defence serving as the technical integrator.

The program focused on technologies that could allow NATO forces to maintain secure communications during electronic interference, integrate military systems from different countries and improve the detection of unmanned aircraft.

NATO Explores 5G Networks as Drone Detection Sensors

One of the experiment's most significant technology areas involved using existing 5G telecommunications infrastructure to support passive detection of objects, including drones.

The concept involves analyzing radio signals transmitted by mobile network infrastructure and reflected by objects moving through the coverage area. With appropriate processing systems, those signals could help identify and track airborne targets without relying on transmissions from the drone itself.

Latvian company LMT Defence is working with Thales Italia on the development of 5G and 6G drone detection capabilities, according to statements made during the experimentation event.

The approach could provide military operators and infrastructure protection agencies with an additional surveillance layer using telecommunications infrastructure already deployed across urban and populated areas.

However, the technology remains under development and testing. The experiments do not establish that an operational NATO-wide drone detection network has been deployed.

Lithuania and Latvia Test Cross-Border Drone Operations

The experimentation also included coordinated unmanned aircraft activities involving Lithuanian and Latvian military systems.

Lithuania's Armed Forces confirmed on October 31 that the trials involved coordinating airspace between the two countries, launching unmanned aircraft from Lithuanian territory and testing the integration of reconnaissance and combat drone systems with allied digital networks.

Admiral Pierre Vandier, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, separately reported that a drone launched from Lithuania crossed into Latvia and was engaged by a counter-drone system during the experimentation program.

The trials formed part of NATO's broader efforts to connect sensors, communications networks and defensive effectors across national military systems.

This work builds on previous NATO counter-UAS experimentation in Latvia. In August, AdriaDefense reported on the testing of SPX Communication Technologies' BlackTalon system, which integrated data from multiple sensors during the Baltic Trust 26 exercise.

Satellite Communications and Resilient Military Networks

Another major component of DiBaX 2026 involved maintaining communications when conventional networks become disrupted or electronically contested.

NATO tested the use of dedicated military network slices within commercial 5G infrastructure, potentially allowing deployed forces to establish communications services before their own dedicated equipment is fully operational.

The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) also evaluated technologies for managing radio frequencies and reducing interference between communications systems.

According to NCIA, an experimental spectrum management solution allowed participating radio systems to switch frequencies within seconds, demonstrating potential improvements in communications resilience.

In cooperation with the European Space Agency, NCIA additionally tested the integration of an experimental 5G system with satellite communications infrastructure. The trial connected ESA's European Space Research and Technology Centre in the Netherlands with systems operating in Latvia.

Industry Integration Becomes a NATO Priority

DiBaX 2026 was conducted under NATO Allied Command Transformation, supported by the Latvian Ministry of Defense, Latvian National Armed Forces and industry partners.

Alongside digital communications, the broader experimentation program included the Layered Counter-UAS Initiative and Next Generation Targeting, which examined how sensors, defensive systems and AI-supported decision tools could operate together.

For European defense companies, the program provided an opportunity to test technologies against practical interoperability requirements rather than evaluate individual products in isolation.

Latvia has increasingly positioned itself as a testing location for multinational defense technology development, supported by its telecommunications infrastructure, military testing facilities and expanding domestic defense industry.

The next stage will involve assessing the experimental results and determining which technologies can progress toward military procurement, further testing or operational integration.

NATO has not announced that the tested 5G-based drone detection systems are ready for widespread deployment.