• Nokia’s leadership in commercial and private wireless tech is being combined with KONGSBERG’s expertise in tactical military communications to simplify and strengthen defence-grade 5G deployment.
• Beyond 5G, the companies will explore future initiatives such as integrated sensing (6G “network as a sensor”), working via EU-funded programmes including 5G COMPAD and the FACT test range.
What happened: Signing of the memorandum
On 10-11 September 2025 Nokia and KONGSBERG Defence & Aerospace signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate in advancing tactical communications for defence. The effort is focused on deploying secure, resilient and interoperable 5G networks that can be used in field operations, especially tactical or battlefield settings.
Key components of the agreement include integrating unmanned systems and sensors, exploring future 6G capabilities (particularly “network as a sensor”, or Integrated Sensing and Communication), and participating in European programmes like 5G COMPAD and the Federated Advanced Cyber Physical Test Range (FACT). Nokia will also bring in its Banshee radio portfolio to strengthen tactical operations.
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Neither party has disclosed financial terms or a detailed timeline as yet.
Future operational doctrines are going to need data-heavy, low-latency links for voice, real-time telemetry, situational awareness, and perhaps even predictive analytics, as demonstrated through the selection to include unmanned systems and sensors. A future that involves communications infrastructure itself contributes in sensing the environment as opposed to merely transmitting information is also hinted at by the inclusion of the 6G-era “network as a sensor.” The ability to carry out trustworthy and safe tactical communications has developed through an important strategic asset as geopolitical tensions, particularly throughout Europe, escalate. The MoU positions Nokia and KONGSBERG at the leading edge of this development, and this might have a bearing on the way modern nations fight, coordinate, and respond to immediate modifications.
