Ericsson, Leonardo and Italian Navy validate shipboard 5G SA with secure long-range connectivity

Mediterranean test highlights shipboard 5G capability

Ericsson, Leonardo and the Italian Navy complete a prolonged live maritime trial in the Gulf of Taranto that demonstrates long‑range 5G Standalone (SA) data communications and resilient on‑board connectivity. The exercise, run under the EDF 5G COMPAD project and showcased during Operational Experimentation OPEX 2‑25, installs a fully self‑contained Ericsson 5G SA network on the amphibious landing ship San Giorgio and 5G customer premises equipment on the Multi‑Purpose Combat Ship Raimondo Montecuccoli.

End‑to‑end Ericsson 5G SA network validates secure naval operations

The deployed system combines Ericsson Ultra Compact Core and Ericsson Massive MIMO radio access network equipment to provide shipboard coverage and backhaul. Leonardo’s NINE encryption and the AI Brain platform process and protect both classified and unclassified traffic, enabling full situational awareness from the Combat Management System and live streaming from 12 unmanned systems in real time. The trial runs continuously through day and night operational conditions and assesses latency, throughput and resilience to interference while measuring encryption robustness for mission‑critical workloads.

Unified 5G architecture reduces spectrum conflict and proves operational value

Trial data show a unified 5G SA network can optimise spectrum use compared with multiple standalone communications operating on unlicensed, overlapping bands that are prone to interference, improving predictable performance for simultaneous sensor feeds and command‑and‑control links. Ericsson executives stress the strategic value of the capability for operations across Italy’s exclusive economic zone of more than 500,000 square kilometres and frame the exercise as a milestone for dual‑use 5G that materially strengthens naval communications and operational effectiveness at sea. Partners signal planned follow‑on trials in 2026 to scale coverage, improve interoperability with allied forces and refine deployment logistics.

Operational testing emphasises resilience and analytics

Beyond throughput metrics, the trial exercises AI‑driven analytics for video and sensor fusion and validates end‑to‑end security controls across classified and unclassified domains. Real‑time streaming from unmanned platforms and integration with combat systems demonstrate the platform’s ability to support simultaneous low‑latency applications critical to modern naval operations.

Scaling and multinational deployment prospects

Participants indicate the exercise sets the stage for broader fleet rollouts and multinational collaborations that require secure high‑bandwidth maritime communications. Ericsson and Leonardo are positioning their combined 5G SA and encryption solutions for further defence and dual‑use maritime deployments as participating organisations plan accelerated adoption and expanded trials later in 2026.