Latvia’s LMT Defence and Thales Italia are exploring how mobile phone networks could help detect and track drones, adding civilian telecommunications infrastructure to Europe’s counter-drone technology efforts.
The companies signed a memorandum of understanding to assess how LMT’s mobile network expertise and Thales’ defense 4G and 5G technologies could be combined to identify drones through their behavioral patterns.
The approach would use existing mobile communications networks as part of a detection system, rather than relying solely on dedicated military sensors.
Their cooperation builds on the European Defence Fund-supported 5G COMPAD project, which explores how commercial 5G technologies can be integrated into military communications. Both companies are also participating in its follow-on effort, 5G COMPAD 2.0.
“Modern warfare is becoming increasingly complex, and countering emerging aerial threats requires more than just dedicated military hardware; it demands seamless, multi-layered integration,” LMT Defense head Salvis Skladovs said.
Europe Steps Up Counter-Drone Cooperation
The LMT-Thales agreement comes as European cooperation is also moving toward joint development and procurement.
In November, NATO launched a marketplace to speed up allied access to tested counter-drone technologies.
The marketplace includes 16 solutions from five companies, with systems available for static, transportable, and mobile deployments.
Earlier, in September, the Council of the European Union approved the Drone and Counter-Drone European Resolve project which aims to coordinate the development, scaling, and deployment of drone and counter-drone systems among participating countries, while supporting joint procurement and expanding European production capacity.
