LMT Defence and Thales Italia join forces to advance counter-drone technologies

LMT Defence and Thales Italia join forces to advance counter-drone technologies

By Press on 2 November 2026

• LMT Defence and Thales Italia sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore new approaches to drone detection and counter-drone capabilities, leveraging mobile network infrastructure and defence 4G/5G technologies.
• This cooperation builds on the companies’ joint work within the European Defence Fund (EDF)-supported 5G COMPAD programmes.

LMT Defence and Thales Italia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen cooperation in defence technology development, with a particular focus on exploring the role of mobile communications technologies and infrastructure in drone detection and counter-drone (C-UAV) capabilities.

Under this agreement, both companies will evaluate how LMT products, services, and mobile network expertise can be combined with Thales Italia’s defence 4G/5G technologies and solutions to support the development of a new approach to drone detection that uses mobile phone networks to track and identify drones through their behavioural patterns. This cooperation also provides a framework for developing further use cases, with the potential to progress towards a proof of concept (PoC), subject to mutual agreement on its scope, resources and milestones.

The cooperation between LMT and Thales originated through 5G COMPAD (5G Communications for Peacekeeping and Defence), a European Defence Fund-supported project exploring the integration of commercial 5G technologies with defence communications systems. Both companies are also participating in its next phase, 5G COMPAD 2.0, continuing their work on the use of civilian communication technologies and networks in defence environments.

“Modern warfare is becoming increasingly complex, and countering emerging aerial threats requires more than just dedicated military hardware; it demands seamless, multi-layered integration. By combining LMT’s expertise – as a mobile network operator and defence technology integrator – with Thales Italia’s advanced 4G/5G defence solutions, we are bridging the gap between commercial telecoms infrastructure and tactical defence applications. Building on our shared success within the 5G COMPAD framework, this MoU allows us to push the boundaries of Integrated Sensing and Communication, ensuring that future drone detection capabilities are built on a foundation of robust, mission-critical connectivity.” says Salvis Skladovs, Head of LMT Defence.

For LMT Defence, the MoU builds on its dual expertise as a mobile network operator and defence technology integrator, enabling emerging technologies to be evaluated in realistic network environments, thus supporting their further development and validation.

“Mobile networks are evolving into multi-functional platforms that can do more than connect: they can also support sensing and detection. By combining Thales’ expertise in defence 4G/5G technologies with LMT Defence’s mobile network capabilities, this partnership demonstrates how civilian and defence technologies can converge to address emerging

threats and advance future-ready solutions for European defence.” said Donato Amoroso, CEO and Country Director Thales in Italy.

About LMT Defence

LMT Defence develops and integrates information and communications technologies for the defence sector, with expertise spanning secure communications, 5G and tactical networks, software and hardware development, and defence R&D. The company participates in European Defence Fund and NATO initiatives and provides infrastructure and expertise for the testing, validation and integration of emerging defence technologies.

About Thales

Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies for the Defence, Aerospace, and Cyber & Digital sectors. Its portfolio of innovative products and services helps address several major challenges: sovereignty, security, sustainability and inclusion.

The Group allocates €4.5 billion per year in Research & Development in key areas, particularly for critical environments, such as Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Quantum and Cloud technologies. Thales has more than 85,000 employees in 65 countries. In 2025, the Group generated sales of €22.1 billion.