Defence private 5G spending nears USD $2.5 billion

Private 5G network spending in the defence sector will reach nearly USD $2.5 billion between 2026 and 2029, according to SNS Telecom & IT's latest market research on private 5G and 4G LTE networks for defence use.

The report projects global spending on private 5G and 4G LTE networks in the sector will grow at a compound annual rate of 24% over the next three years, bringing cumulative investment across the period to nearly USD $2.5 billion.

Military organisations have used wireless communications for decades, but the focus is shifting as commercial off-the-shelf technology becomes more widely available. That is driving defence users towards 3GPP standards-based private networks alongside older proprietary systems.

The research says these networks are being considered for uses including smart base operations, tactical networking and sensing applications linked to counter-drone protection. Public mobile networks still support personal connectivity and some non-sensitive internet of things workloads, but defence agencies are showing greater interest in dedicated private systems with tighter security and access controls.

Global activity

The market analysis points to activity across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. It cites government-backed programmes and military modernisation projects in the United States, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Italy, and within NATO and European Union initiatives.

In the United States, the research highlights the military's FutureG programme and notes operational deployments are already in place for the Indo-Pacific and Africa Commands, as well as at sites across the continental United States. Elsewhere, it identifies projects including the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence's Project Morpheus, the German Army's D-LBO digitalisation effort and the Spanish Air & Space Force's BACSI programme.

The study also lists deployments, trials or operational networks in Canada, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Portugal, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Greece, Türkiye, Ukraine, Russia, China, Australia, Japan, Singapore, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, Israel and Brazil.

Those systems span a broad mix of spectrum bands, from sub-1 GHz frequencies to mid-band spectrum such as n78, n77 and n79, as well as millimetre wave bands. The range reflects the different requirements of fixed bases, training sites, and mobile or transportable battlefield communications systems.

Exercise demand

The report says rapidly deployable cellular systems are becoming more visible in military exercises and field experimentation. It points to training and operational trials including the Joint Interagency Field Experimentation programme hosted by the Naval Postgraduate School, Washington Air National Guard's Exercise Phoenix Dawn and the Portuguese Navy-led REPMUS exercise.

Other examples cited in the research include the Italian Navy's OPEX 2-25 in the Gulf of Taranto, German Army urban warfare training drills, the Norwegian military's Joint Viking exercise in the Arctic Circle, the SABAK exercise involving the Philippine Army and U.S. Army Pacific forces, U.S. Marine Corps exercises Steel Knight and ITX, and the Japan Ground Self-Defence Force's Nankai Rescue disaster response drill.

The growth outlook points to a broader shift in defence communications procurement. Rather than relying only on public carrier infrastructure for secondary services or on bespoke military systems for frontline operations, armed forces are increasingly testing whether private cellular networks can support both permanent installations and transportable networks closer to the tactical edge.

That includes applications for military bases, training grounds and remote operations, where control over the network can be as important as bandwidth or coverage. The report argues that demand is being shaped by requirements for security, customisation and specialised features not always available through public mobile infrastructure.

SNS Telecom & IT described the defence sector as a growing market for private cellular technology, with armed forces around the world actively investing in both permanent and transportable private 5G networks for warfighters at the tactical edge, military bases and training facilities.