NATO to test 5G capabilities in Latvia with virtual reality, drones

MILAN — NATO’s Allied Command Transformation, in charge of developing the alliance’s digital backbone, has signed an agreement with Latvia that will allow member nations to assess new capabilities at the Baltic country’s 5G military test bed.

The Latvian Ministry of Defense announced this week that it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the command to use the country’s test site for defense applications. As part of this, the two partners are to hold a second operational experiment in October, at the Ādaži military base, to evaluate the alliance’s newest research-and-development initiatives and the tactical 5G abilities of the site.

“This event will see the use of virtual and augmented reality, unmanned vehicles, sensors, and applications within a tactical 5G bubble,” an ACT news release stated. “ACT will demonstrate how 5G’s ability to provide ultra-reliable and low-latency connections can bring additive capabilities to NATO communication and information systems.”

The Ādaži test bed for next-generation telecommunication networks was built in 2020 and represents the first of its kind in Europe.
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“While the U.S. needs to invest in military modernization to deter China, it also needs to become a big player in the 5G wireless network industry,” commander of U.S. Southern Command, Gen. Laura Richardson, said at a panel hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington on Aug. 4.

“Information sharing between military allies utilizing a 5G network is absolutely crucial, but what is even more crucial is relying on a network that is completely secure,” she added.

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