Ericsson advances naval 5G Standalone trials with Leonardo and Italian Navy

Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC), Leonardo and the Italian Navy have completed live maritime trials of a 5G Standalone network deployed on naval vessels during open-sea operational exercises in the Gulf of Taranto. The tests validated secure, real-time data exchange, AI-enabled situational awareness and resilient ship-to-ship connectivity under day and night conditions, signaling a potential shift in how modern navies design onboard communications and combat systems.

What changed with Ericsson, Leonardo and the Italian Navy testing 5G Standalone connectivity at sea under live operational conditions?

The most important change is not that a new radio technology worked offshore, but that a fully self-contained 5G Standalone network was proven inside an operational naval context rather than a controlled lab or port environment. Ericsson deployed an end-to-end 5G Standalone system using its Ultra Compact Core and Massive MIMO radio access equipment aboard the Italian Navy amphibious landing ship San Giorgio, which served as the lead platform. A second vessel, the multi-purpose combat ship Raimondo Montecuccoli, was equipped with 5G Standalone customer premises equipment, enabling direct, secure connectivity between ships.

Leonardo integrated its NINE encryption solution with the 5G Standalone network, allowing classified and unclassified data to be exchanged in real time. This included feeds from the combat management system and live video streams from twelve unmanned systems processed via an AI Brain platform. Crucially, the trial ran during the Italian Navy’s Operational Experimentation Task 2-25, meaning performance was tested during realistic naval maneuvers, variable sea states, and continuous day and night operations.

This matters because naval communications have historically relied on a patchwork of radios, satellite links, proprietary data buses and point solutions that are often optimized for individual tasks rather than system-wide integration. Demonstrating that a single 5G Standalone network can reliably support mission systems, unmanned platforms and secure command data at sea represents a tangible departure from incremental upgrades toward architectural change.

Why does unified 5G Standalone networking matter now for naval forces facing multi-domain and unmanned operations?

Naval operations are undergoing a structural shift. Ships are no longer isolated platforms but nodes in a wider multi-domain network that spans sea, air, space and cyber. The rapid growth of unmanned surface vehicles, unmanned aerial systems and sensor-rich combat platforms is pushing legacy naval communications toward saturation.

In this context, the appeal of 5G Standalone lies in its ability to consolidate multiple communication streams into a single, software-defined network with deterministic performance, quality-of-service controls and native security features. The Italian Navy trial validated that a unified 5G network could optimize spectrum usage compared with multiple standalone systems operating in overlapping and interference-prone bands. For navies operating in congested electromagnetic environments, spectrum efficiency is becoming a strategic constraint rather than a technical footnote.

Timing also matters. European defense planners are under pressure to modernize command-and-control systems while maintaining interoperability with NATO allies. Ericsson’s earlier collaboration with the Italian Navy during NATO trials at the Taranto naval base in 2024 suggests a deliberate effort to align national experimentation with alliance-level requirements. Demonstrating maritime 5G Standalone performance now positions European defense ecosystems to influence how next-generation naval standards are defined rather than importing architectures shaped elsewhere.

How does this trial reshape the role of Ericsson and Leonardo in defense communications and naval digitization?

For Ericsson, the trial reinforces a strategic repositioning of 5G from a commercial telecom asset to a dual-use infrastructure platform suitable for defense and mission-critical environments. The use of Ericsson Ultra Compact Core highlights a focus on deployable, ruggedized network cores that can operate autonomously without reliance on civilian infrastructure. This is a notable shift from the perception of 5G as something that must always be anchored to nationwide networks.

Leonardo’s role is equally instructive. Rather than acting solely as a prime contractor delivering closed systems, Leonardo positioned itself as an integrator of encryption, combat management and AI processing on top of an open yet secure 5G backbone. This aligns with a broader industry move toward modular defense architectures, where primes differentiate through system integration, security and mission software rather than proprietary transport layers.

The collaboration also reflects a pragmatic division of labor. Ericsson brings telecom-grade networking and standardization expertise, while Leonardo anchors the solution in military-grade security, certification and operational credibility. For future defense programs, this model may prove more scalable than single-vendor stacks, especially as navies seek to onboard new sensors and unmanned systems over decades-long vessel lifecycles.

What competitive implications does maritime 5G Standalone testing create for naval communication vendors and primes?

The successful demonstration raises uncomfortable questions for incumbents whose portfolios are built around bespoke naval radios and point-to-point data links. While these systems will not disappear overnight, their long-term role may shift toward edge connectivity rather than acting as the backbone of shipboard networks.

Vendors focused on software-defined radios, tactical datalinks and satellite communications will need to articulate how their offerings coexist with or complement unified 5G architectures. Some may pivot toward acting as specialized endpoints within a 5G network, while others could double down on contested and denied environments where alternative technologies retain advantages.

For defense primes, the message is that networking architecture itself is becoming a competitive differentiator. Programs that lock navies into rigid communication stacks risk obsolescence as mission systems evolve faster than hardware refresh cycles. By contrast, a 5G Standalone approach offers a pathway to incremental capability upgrades through software and network slicing rather than wholesale system replacement.

How credible is 5G Standalone as a secure and resilient naval technology rather than a marketing narrative?

Skepticism around 5G in defense contexts is understandable. Concerns range from cyber resilience and electronic warfare vulnerability to survivability under combat damage. The Italian Navy trial does not resolve all these issues, but it does move the debate from theory to evidence.

The use of Leonardo’s NINE encryption and the validation of secure classified data exchange directly address one of the most persistent objections to commercial-derived networking technologies. Moreover, the fact that the network operated in a self-contained configuration onboard ships reduces exposure to external infrastructure risks that often dominate 5G security debates.

Resilience is more nuanced. A unified network can be a strength if it is designed with redundancy, segmentation and rapid reconfiguration in mind. It can also be a weakness if poorly architected. The trial’s emphasis on performance, security and resilience suggests that these concerns were central to the experimentation, though sustained validation under adversarial conditions would still be required before frontline deployment.

What does this signal about Italy’s naval modernization priorities and European defense autonomy?

Italy’s central Mediterranean geography and extensive maritime economic zone place unique demands on its navy, particularly in surveillance, interdiction and coalition operations. By investing in advanced onboard networking, the Italian Navy is signaling that information dominance and system integration are now core priorities alongside traditional platform capabilities.

At a European level, the trial underscores a broader push toward technological sovereignty in defense-critical domains. Relying on European suppliers for both telecom infrastructure and defense integration reduces strategic dependence and strengthens Europe’s position in shaping standards for military 5G and beyond.

This also aligns with the European Union’s increasing focus on dual-use technologies that can serve both civilian and defense markets. A naval 5G Standalone architecture that draws from commercial innovation while meeting military requirements fits squarely within that policy direction.

What happens next if maritime 5G Standalone succeeds beyond experimentation, and what if it stalls?

If the approach scales successfully, the next phase is likely to involve expanding 5G Standalone networks across larger task groups, integrating additional unmanned platforms and testing interoperability with allied forces. Over time, this could influence new ship designs, with networking considered a core system alongside propulsion and combat management rather than an add-on.

There are also implications for procurement. Navies may begin specifying network-centric requirements that favor modular, standards-based solutions, potentially reshaping tender dynamics and supplier ecosystems.

If momentum stalls, the trial will still have value as a proof point that informs future architectures. Technical or doctrinal resistance could slow adoption, particularly if navies remain cautious about consolidating critical communications onto a single network layer. Budget pressures and certification timelines may also temper near-term deployment.

From an industry perspective, even partial success reinforces the need for vendors to engage seriously with 5G and related technologies rather than dismissing them as commercial distractions.

How are investors and institutional stakeholders likely to view Ericsson’s defense-focused 5G progress?

For Ericsson, defense applications remain a relatively small part of overall revenue compared with global telecom infrastructure. However, the strategic value lies in diversification and differentiation rather than immediate scale. Demonstrating credible defense use cases strengthens Ericsson’s narrative around mission-critical networks at a time when traditional telecom spending cycles are uneven.

Institutional sentiment is likely to remain grounded in fundamentals, including margins, cash flow and competitive positioning in core markets. That said, sustained traction in defense and public safety networking could support a more resilient long-term growth profile, particularly if governments prioritize secure domestic suppliers.

Leonardo, as a defense-focused company, benefits more directly from such trials in terms of positioning and future program relevance. Successful integration of advanced networking into naval platforms reinforces its role as a systems integrator capable of bridging traditional defense domains with emerging digital infrastructure.

Key takeaways: What the Italian Navy’s 5G Standalone sea trial means for defense networks and industry strategy

• The trial moves maritime 5G Standalone from conceptual promise to operational validation under real sea conditions.

• Unified onboard networking addresses growing data demands from unmanned systems and AI-enabled mission platforms.

• Ericsson’s deployable 5G core highlights a shift toward autonomous, defense-ready network architectures.

• Leonardo’s integration of encryption and combat systems shows how primes can build value on open network backbones.

• Spectrum efficiency and interference management are becoming strategic naval concerns, not just technical issues.

• Incumbent naval communication vendors face pressure to adapt to more flexible, standards-based architectures.

• European navies are positioning themselves to influence military 5G standards rather than follow external models.

• Investor impact for Ericsson is strategic rather than immediate, supporting diversification into mission-critical networks.

• Long-term success depends on resilience, interoperability and certification beyond controlled experimentation.