Latvia’s LMT Defence and Thales Italia are examining the use of existing 4G and 5G mobile networks to identify and track drones, potentially adding commercial telecommunications infrastructure to Europe’s counter-UAS capabilities. Under a newly signed memorandum of understanding, the companies will assess how LMT’s mobile network expertise and Thales’ defense communications technologies can detect unmanned aircraft by analyzing their behavioral patterns. The concept would supplement dedicated military sensors with detection capabilities derived from existing mobile communications infrastructure. The initiative builds on the European Defence Fund-backed 5G COMPAD programme, which explores the military application of commercial 5G technologies. Both companies are also involved in the follow-on 5G COMPAD 2.0 effort. The partnership comes amid broader European moves to coordinate counter-drone technology development and procurement. NATO launched a marketplace in November to give allied forces faster access to tested solutions, listing 16 systems from five companies for fixed, transportable, and mobile deployments. In September, the Council of the European Union also approved the Drone and Counter-Drone European Resolve project, which seeks to coordinate the development, expansion, and deployment of drone and counter-drone capabilities across participating countries. The initiative additionally supports joint procurement and efforts to increase Europe’s production capacity.
