The 5G COMPAD project held a live demonstration showcasing advanced 5G technologies in a military environment on 17 September 2025 at the German Army Combat Training Centre in Letzlingen, Germany.
The event focused on the interoperability of tactical radios and smartphones from different countries, seamless switching between public and military networks, integration into existing tactical systems, and secure operation even in GNSS-denied environments – situations where satellite navigation signals like GPS were unavailable or disrupted.
In addition, powerful applications for broadband data transmission, coordination of multiple emergency vehicles, and improved decision-making at the tactical level were presented – for example, through the use of real-time data, Blue Force Tracking (BFT), Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR), and shared situation pictures.
The 36-month-long 5G COMPAD project aimed to facilitate the use of 5G for defence and enable the interoperability of defence and public communication systems across EU member states, supporting information superiority for European armed forces. 19 European defence companies currently developing European solutions for military use of 5G networks on land, in the air and at sea.
“We would like to express our sincere thanks to the German Army Combat Training Centre for its impressive support during the Global Land Demonstration in Germany. The digitisation of the European armed forces is progressing. As part of this modernisation, secure and mobile communication is becoming a strategic necessity. This is where 5G comes in. As the backbone of future mission networks, 5G enables fast, reliable and scalable connectivity that meets the requirements of Modern and future operations,”
says Rheinmetall representative.The demonstration in September took place in one of Europe’s most modern military training centres, providing valuable insights into the future of networked combat operations. As part of the program, the German Army conducted an exercise in its urban training area, Schnöggersburg, showcasing both the new 5G solutions and how its forces train for urban combat with live simulation.
The event was organized by 5G COMPAD partners Rheinmetall, SAAB, Thales, and Leonardo, with contributions from CNIT, Nokia, Ericsson, Inster, and Cafa Tech.
The 5G COMPAD (5G Communications for Peacekeeping and Defense) project began in December 2022 and was scheduled to conclude in December 2025. Co-funded by the EU, it brought together leading European telecom and defence industry partners, including Saab, Ericsson, Rheinmetall, Bittium, Nokia, Thales, Leonardo, Inster, Eight Bells, Intracom Defense (IDE), CAFA Tech, Telenor, Sintef, FFI (NO Gov), LMT, AIT, Synkzone, BHE, and APR Technologies, with subcontractors CNIT, Fraunhofer FKIE, CEA, and Space Hellas SA.