Europe’s First 5G Testbed for Defence to Receive new 5G Networks

Europe’s first 5G defence testbed, based in Ādaži, Latvia has been supplemented by two 5G networks built by Nokia and Ericsson in order to test defence innovations on a variety of networks. The employment of two additional standalone 5G networks is further step to improving the testbed as it allows for centralised testing, checking compatibility of networks and accelerating field implementation. Applications slated for testing on these 5G networks include remote AR/VR defence personnel training, command and control, and various maintenance activities with remote specialist participation.

The Ādaži site, originally launched by a Latvian telecommunications company in collaboration with the Latvian armed forces and Ministry of Defence, has been in operation since 2020. Owing to its 5G capabilities, the Ādaži site has become a preferred testing ground for NATO partners to develop, test, and demonstrate 5G defence applications. The Ādaži testbed has also been the site of multinational force training, experiments, and demonstrations, including testing of mission management platforms, unmanned ground vehicles, and various others.

CK