5G tech trialled during Norwegian military exercise

Nokia, in collaboration with industry partners, recently tested 5G technology in a defence scenario during Joint Viking 2025, a Norwegian military exercise. Throughout the trial, Nokia’s 5G technology was said to provide field personnel from multiple nations with advanced defence applications, enhancing situational awareness and facilitating seamless cooperation across military units.

Joint Viking 2025 took place in Bardufoss, located in northern Norway, above the Arctic Circle. It included more than 10,000 soldiers from Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, the US, the UK, the Netherlands and Norway. Occurring every two years, the exercise aims to enhance military cooperation, support protection of NATO’s northern flank and test Norway’s ability to receive allied reinforcements.

Nokia’s solutions included 5G AirScale radio products and 5G Standalone Core technology tuned for defence applications, to enhance tactical communication and information systems among participating nations. Nokia’s 5G communications platform gave military personnel access to real-time battlefield intelligence, facilitating faster decision-making. The Joint Viking command and control leadership leveraged this data to improve situational awareness, streamline operations, and enhance both safety and efficiency throughout the exercise.

“We collaborate with the industry to develop innovative defence solutions based on commercial technologies,” said Kennet Nomeland, Radio Architect and Norway’s Ministry of Defense liaison for the 5G COMPAD program. “A prime example is advanced software functionality, which enables Nokia’s 5G systems to operate in GNSS-denied environments, along with their next-generation radio equipment, engineered for reduced size, weight and power. Nokia’s 5G technology was instrumental in the success of the Joint Viking exercise, enhancing the Norwegian Armed Forces’ readiness for complex joint operations in challenging conditions.”

Giuseppe Targia, Head of Space and Defense at Nokia, added, “The scalable, secure and reliable connectivity that 5G provides has an important role in strengthening the tactical communication capabilities of defence forces. The successful trial of 5G in the field at Joint Viking exercise is evidence of Nokia’s continued progress in the defence sector and highlights Norwegian Armed Forces’ position as a leader in deploying advanced communication technologies for tactical operations.”

Image credit: iStock.com/Michele Ursi