Trends
UK military turns to Motorola and Nokia for new tactical network
UK military adopts Motorola and Nokia tactical 5G network for fast, secure battlefield communications with drones, vehicles.
Headline
UK military adopts Motorola and Nokia tactical 5G network for fast, secure battlefield communications with drones, vehicles.
Context
The UK Ministry of Defence has chosen Motorola Solutions and Nokia to supply a new deployable tactical communications system. It is built on Motorola’s TETRA digital radio platform, Nokia’s AirScale 5G equipment, and a rugged mesh backhaul from Silvus, a company Motorola bought in 2023. The technology is housed inside containerised units that can be lifted into the field and brought online in “less than 30 minutes”. Once set up, it links soldiers, vehicles, drones, and command centres into a secure network. Video from long-range sensors can be pulled in, and real-time data can flow back to field units.
Evidence
Pending intelligence enrichment.
Analysis
The UK has already funded Project Trinity, an £89 million programme awarded to BAE Systems, aimed at delivering resilient battlefield internet through secure nodes. This new Motorola-Nokia system appears to sit alongside that effort, offering another layer of agility and resilience. Also read: Megabit Cloud: Africa-born global cloud provider Also read: Cloudflare: Enhancing internet infrastructure in Africa For the modern armies, information is as vital as ammunition. British troops are faced the threats in unstable regions and remote areas, where building fixed infrastructure is not possible. A network that is fast to deploy, scalable, and self-healing gives a clear advantage. If one node goes down, data routes around it. If soldiers move, the mesh adapts. This system offers 5G speeds with the rugged reliability of TETRA radios. It is designed to carry the voice, data, and video in the same package, which is helps commanders and units share live intelligence. Drones can send images, sensors can feed alerts, and all of it can reach decision-makers without delay.
Key Points
- Motorola and Nokia to supply UK military with fast, secure deployable network
- Portable system combines radios, 5G, and mesh backhaul for drones, vehicles, and troops
Actions
Pending intelligence enrichment.
