Ericsson and Leonardo Trial 5G at Sea with Italian Navy
What happened
Ericsson and Leonardo, in collaboration with the Italian Navy, successfully demonstrated long-range 5G Standalone (SA) data communication capabilities at sea. The live trials tested on-board connectivity and naval vessel systems over a prolonged period in real-world operational conditions.
Why it matters
- The trial utilized a self-contained, end-to-end Ericsson 5G Standalone network installed on the Italian Navy's amphibious landing ship, the San Giorgio. - A second vessel, the Multi-Purpose Combat Ship Raimondo Montecuccoli, was equipped with 5G customer premises equipment (CPE) to establish a secure, real-time link between the two ships. - Leonardo provided its NINE encryption solution to enable the secure, real-time exchange of both classified and unclassified information during the exercise. - The demonstration included streaming video from 12 unmanned systems, which was processed by Leonardo's AI Brain platform. - This test was part of the Italian Navy's Operational Experimentation (OPEX) 2-25 in the Gulf of Taranto and built upon previous collaborations within the European Defence Fund's 5G COMPAD project. - A key outcome was demonstrating that a unified 5G network can optimize spectrum usage and reduce interference risks compared to using multiple, separate communication systems. - The U.S. Department of Defense is also heavily investing in 5G, with a commitment of $600 million for testbeds at over a dozen military bases, signaling a broader trend in Western naval forces. - Ericsson has explicitly targeted the U.S. military as a major potential customer for its 5G networking technology, aligning with the Pentagon's goal to connect all branches into a single global communications system.
Key numbers
- Ericsson and Leonardo, in collaboration with the Italian Navy, successfully demonstrated long-range 5G Standalone (SA) data communication capabilities at sea.
- - The trial utilized a self-contained, end-to-end Ericsson 5G Standalone network installed on the Italian Navy's amphibious landing ship, the San Giorgio.
- A second vessel, the Multi-Purpose Combat Ship Raimondo Montecuccoli, was equipped with 5G customer premises equipment (CPE) to establish a secure, real-time link between the two ships.
- The demonstration included streaming video from 12 unmanned systems, which was processed by Leonardo's AI Brain platform.
Quick answers
What happened in Ericsson and Leonardo Trial 5G at Sea with Italian Navy?
Ericsson and Leonardo, in collaboration with the Italian Navy, successfully demonstrated long-range 5G Standalone (SA) data communication capabilities at sea. The live trials tested on-board connectivity and naval vessel systems over a prolonged period in real-world operational conditions.
Why does Ericsson and Leonardo Trial 5G at Sea with Italian Navy matter?
The trial utilized a self-contained, end-to-end Ericsson 5G Standalone network installed on the Italian Navy's amphibious landing ship, the San Giorgio. A second vessel, the Multi-Purpose Combat Ship Raimondo Montecuccoli, was equipped with 5G customer premises equipment (CPE) to establish a secure, real-time link between the two ships. Leonardo provided its NINE encryption solution to enable the secure, real-time exchange of both classified and unclassified information during the exercise. The demonstration included streaming video from 12 unmanned systems, which was processed by Leonardo's AI Brain platform. This test was part of the Italian Navy's Operational Experimentation (OPEX) 2-25 in the Gulf of Taranto and built upon previous collaborations within the European Defence Fund's 5G COMPAD project. A key outcome was demonstrating that a unified 5G network can optimize spectrum usage and reduce interference risks compared to using multiple, separate communication systems. The U.S. Department of Defense is also heavily investing in 5G, with a commitment of $600 million for testbeds at over a dozen military bases, signaling a broader trend in Western naval forces. Ericsson has explicitly targeted the U.S. military as a major potential customer for its 5G networking technology, aligning with the Pentagon's goal to connect all branches into a single global communications system.
