NATO’s Digital Backbone Experimentation 2026 (DiBaX 2026) took place in Latvia from October 19-30, under the leadership of NATO Allied Command Transformation (ACT), with the participation of 22 allied nations and over 60 industry partners. The event was supported by the Latvian Ministry of Defence and the National Armed Forces, with LMT Defence as the technical integrator.
This year’s communication experimentation focused on three use case areas: rapid deployment through 5G network slicing, resilient communications with failover between different communication methods, and passive object detection using 5G infrastructure. The aim was to test how different technologies, networks and systems could be integrated to strengthen NATO’s operational capabilities.
The chosen use cases were designed to prepare for scenarios that don't yet meet the Article 5 threshold, but still test NATO and its partners. Grey-zone incidents include drone intrusions and undersea cable incidents in the Baltic Sea.
“NATO’s DiBaX is utilizing different innovative solutions from start ups to large enterprises all across the alliance, building on great diversity to improve resilience. We are ready to solve today’s problems and move on to tomorrow’s challenges.”
– Lukas Mueller, Acting Director DiBaX 2026
Preparing for tomorrow’s problems
DiBaX 2026 focused on three use case areas. The first explored how NATO forces could achieve secure command and control and data services from day one, before full infrastructure arrived. The experiment focused on how a private 5G network slice could be established on host-nation mobile infrastructure and used to rapidly and securely serve NATO forces.
Another use case area focused on resilience, exploring multiple communication paths and failover options in jammed environments. This includes radio failover across frequencies, satellite communications – including 5G direct-to-device – and troposcatter links.
The third use case area focused on data aggregation and sensemaking, e.g. via passive object detection through 5G, especially in urban environments with dense tower coverage. The experiment explored 5G as a means to detect objects moving through its coverage area.
“DiBaX showed us what real partnership in the defence industry means. KELLUU consistently went the extra step, and that commitment helped all of us reach a better result together. Their platform proved outstanding for extended reconnaissance missions and has been instrumental in advancing several of DiBaX use cases.”
— Salvis Skladovs, Head of LMT Defence
“DiBaX and LCI-X are two of the most important operational exercises Kelluu has participated in this year. Kelluu provided Allies and operators with a persistent, near-silent, low-signature wide-area picture that stayed airborne for hours. We flew four sensors from different industry partners at once, conducting overwatch of a simulated assault and medical evacuation, detecting and tracking attacking UAS, and providing data connectivity and relay to companion assets.
That shared view fed into several use cases, including our contribution to Next Generation Targeting, one of the four NATO ACT Beacon Projects we contribute to.
This was our second DiBaX and third LCI-X, and we’re grateful to LMT Defence and the organisers for plugging us into the wider picture.
Now our focus is the step from demonstration to adoption, engaging with Allies to deliver these capabilities in support of real-world operations.”
–Emma Burton, OPEX Lead, Kelluu
One of the high-level goals of DiBaX 2026 was to move from pure innovation to adoption. Rather than showcasing technologies, the experimentation focused on how to adopt and integrate these capabilities into military and civilian structures, including dual-use applications.
Countries such as Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, the United States, Canada, Finland and others took part in DiBaX 2026. NATO entities such as the NATO Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA), NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA), NATO CIS Group (NCISG), and other NATO Command Structure (NCS) entities were involved as well.
Participants also included more than 60 technology partners, including Ascent Lumina, BPNE, Dronetag, Ericsson, FireSwarm Solutions, FortAegis, Inovec, Kelluu, Kinnami, the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE), Nokia, PLATH, Spectra Group, Tactiql, TEKEVER, Thales and others. LMT served as the technical integrator for the event.
“Communications have become the invisible battlefield of modern defence. The ability to protect the flow of information can determine how quickly forces understand what is happening and act accordingly. DiBaX is not just about testing individual technologies, but about ensuring that the digital backbone connecting them remains resilient in contested conditions. As the technology integrator for DiBaX 2026, LMT’s role is to enable different technologies to communicate with each other even under disrupted conditions.”
– Ingmārs Pūķis, Vice President and Member of the Management Board at LMT
Two additional experimentation areas built on DiBaX
Alongside the DiBaX digital backbone use cases, two additional NATO experimentation efforts took place: the Layered Counter-UAS Initiative (LCI-X) and Next Generation Targeting (NGT).
LCI-X, a NATO ACT Beacon Project focused on counter-UAS capabilities, examined how different sensors and effectors could work together as a layered defence against active unmanned aerial system threats.
Meanwhile, NGT focused on accelerating the information-to-decision process. It explored AI-enabled decision support and data aggregation to help prepare data so that the right decisions could be made as quickly as possible.
DiBaX 2026 culminated in late October, with early observer opportunities on 27–28 October, followed by NATO FUSE on 29–30 October. The first day of NATO FUSE featured plenaries, panels, and industry engagement, while 30 October focused on live field experimentation and outdoor demonstrations.
DiBaX 2026 also included high-level NATO and EU engagement in Latvia. On 30 October, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), General Alexus G. Grynkewich, visited Latvia and met with Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs.
European Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis also participated in NATO FUSE, where he announced the establishment of two pilot European Drone Technology Hubs in 2027, one in Latvia and one in the Netherlands. The hubs will accelerate the development, testing and deployment of drone and counter-drone technologies in close cooperation with NATO.
About DiBaX
The Digital Backbone eXperimentation (DiBaX) is a pioneering NATO experiment aimed at enhancing interoperability across domains through cutting-edge 5G and satellite communication technologies. The project reflects NATO’s commitment to strengthening defence capabilities in an interconnected world.
Foto: Armīns Janiks, Aizsardzības ministrija