NATO and AT&T Test Commercial 5G Masts for Drone Detection

NATO tested three methods of using commercial 5G infrastructure to detect and track flying objects during DiBaX 2026, an exercise in Latvia that ran from October 19 to 30. The alliance examined whether existing cellular masts could passively identify and follow drones, turning networks built for commercial traffic into a potential national-security sensor.

The Latvian trial paired passive 5G sensing with an AI-agent-assisted counter-drone system. The United States, Canada, Germany, Finland, Lithuania and other allies took part, and some tests failed; the account did not identify which methods worked or which failed.

What did NATO establish in Latvia?

Admiral Pierre Vandier, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, said: “We have connected systems that were never designed to communicate with each other, using artificial intelligence to overcome interoperability barriers.” The AI layer linked assets built for different purposes.

Vandier also said: “It's the first time that we have, for example, a Maven system that is speaking to a national system, and that has been fixed in hours with Agentic AI.” The result showed that AI resolved a specific interoperability problem, although NATO acknowledged that some sensing tests failed.

If the approach became repeatable, commercial coverage could give NATO another sensing layer for national security. The alliance could also draw on several networks and satellites for resilience if one communications route failed.

The same reuse creates a security problem: a 5G mast can become a more attractive target once it helps locate hostile drones. The concern was that wider military reliance could expose communications infrastructure rather than simply add a low-cost service.

What did AT&T and Ericsson demonstrate in Texas?

AT&T, the U.S. mobile operator, and Ericsson, the network vendor, demonstrated drone detection over 5G outside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. According to the official promotional account, the system detected and located multiple drones and then tracked their movement. The aircraft flew at altitudes of 300 to 400 feet within the coverage area.

The test was presented as an early example of 6G, whose official design scope includes both communications and sensing. The demonstration used a commercial 5G network, so it should not be confused with an operational 6G service or a military deployment.

The promotional release said the technology could “support new levels of low altitude threat detection and tracking around major venues, public spaces and other complex environments.” It supplied no detection accuracy, range, latency or cost figures, leaving the trial short of a performance benchmark.

The sporting venue was reportedly chosen because major venues can be targeted by terrorists. That made the stadium a test of low-altitude sensing in a complex public environment.

Can commercial 5G carry the military role?

The military interest extends beyond laboratory work. Drones and counter-drone systems have become critical in current armed conflicts worldwide, and the source points to rapid developments in Russia, Ukraine and the Middle East earlier in the year.

Reusing cellular networks across most nations would give armed forces sensing without building a separate radio network for that task. The source assesses the approach as requiring little extra investment, although the NATO exercise shows that software integration and failed tests remain constraints.

Commercial ownership also changes the risk calculation. The main caveat is straightforward: if military and civil users depend on the same masts for sensing and connectivity, those masts could become more attractive targets.

The standards context remains early. The report described 6G as officially including communications and sensing, but it set out no standard milestones, regulatory approval path or timetable for military use of commercial networks. It also offered no evidence of a nationwide service.

If NATO and the companies behind the Texas demonstration can turn the exercises into repeatable deployments, operators could add a defense function to networks they have already built, with little extra investment. No wider rollout, procurement or policy deadline was provided, however, and reliability plus protection of the masts will determine whether the approach moves beyond trials.