Nokia Defense and NestAI Develop Integrated AI, 5G and Sensing Capabilities for Contested Military Environments

Nokia Defense and NestAI Develop Integrated AI, 5G and Sensing Capabilities for Contested Military Environments

(IN BRIEF) Nokia Defense and NestAI are advancing their technology partnership to develop AI-enabled defence capabilities supported by resilient connectivity in contested and denied environments. The collaboration follows Nokia’s and Tesi’s €100 million joint investment in NestAI in November 2025 and focuses on combining deployable 5G, artificial intelligence, mission planning, sensing and battlefield operating systems. The partnership is developing three core capabilities: AI-enabled command and control over deployable 5G networks, mission planning with assured connectivity, and earlier threat detection through Nokia’s Integrated Sensing and Communications technology combined with NestAI’s multi-sensor tracking. The goal is to help European forces operate more effectively in conditions involving disrupted communications, electronic attack and emerging drone threats. The technologies are being developed in Europe and built to NATO operational requirements, supporting sovereign European defence capabilities for future military missions.

(PRESS RELEASE) ESPOO, 9-Jul-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Nokia Defense and NestAI are strengthening their technology partnership to develop integrated capabilities for AI-enabled defence operations in environments where connectivity is disrupted, contested or denied.

The collaboration brings together artificial intelligence, deployable 5G networks, sensing technologies and battlefield operating systems into a single defence capability designed for the next generation of military missions. The first operational capabilities are now being developed under the partnership, which was established alongside Nokia’s and Tesi’s €100 million joint investment in NestAI in November 2025.

As European defence spending reaches its highest level in decades, armed forces are moving quickly to integrate AI-enabled systems into planning, communications, sensing and operational decision-making. However, the successful use of AI in the field depends on secure, resilient and trusted connectivity, particularly in conditions where communications infrastructure is degraded, denied or under electronic attack.

The partnership between Nokia and NestAI is focused on addressing that challenge by combining deployable communications infrastructure with AI-driven mission systems and sensing capabilities.

The collaboration is delivering three integrated operational capabilities.

The first is AI-enabled command and control over deployable 5G networks. This brings together Nokia’s deployable 5G technology with NestOS, NestAI’s adaptive operating system for modern battlefield operations. The capability is designed to help European forces maintain command and control, support autonomous systems and reduce dependence on fixed communications infrastructure during missions.

The second capability focuses on mission planning with assured connectivity. By integrating Nokia’s radio-network planning models into NestOS mission-planning tools, defence forces will be able to assess, plan and adapt connectivity as part of mission preparation and execution. This is intended to reduce the risk of coverage gaps during fast-moving multidomain operations.

The third capability supports earlier threat detection and response. Nokia’s Integrated Sensing and Communications technology is being combined with NestAI’s multi-sensor tracking capabilities to provide wider-area threat awareness. The aim is to give operators earlier detection of emerging threats and support faster, better-informed decisions, even in contested environments where connectivity is limited.

The capabilities are being developed for the conditions modern defence forces increasingly face, including denied communications, active electronic attack and drone threats that may need to be identified before dedicated sensors acquire a target.

Nokia and NestAI said the technologies are being developed in Europe and built to meet NATO operational requirements, supporting the acceleration of sovereign European defence capabilities.

Mikko Hautala, Chief Geopolitical and Government Relations Officer and Chairman of Nokia Defense, said defence organisations are moving rapidly toward AI-enabled capabilities, including mission planning and unmanned operations. He noted that AI can only work effectively in the field when supported by secure and resilient connectivity.

“Together with NestAI, Nokia is accelerating the sovereign technologies NATO needs to operate, decide and act in the next generation of missions,” said Hautala.

Peter Sarlin, Founder and Executive Chairman of NestAI, said many defence AI systems are built around assumptions about connectivity, sensor availability and infrastructure that are not realistic in contested environments.

“What we are building with Nokia addresses the real conditions European forces face, from the network underneath to the threats at the edge, on technology that Europe develops and controls,” said Sarlin.

Nokia Defense provides secure and intelligent connectivity for defence in the AI era. Built on Nokia’s global experience in fixed, mobile and transport networks, the business delivers resilient, mission-ready communications solutions designed to strengthen national security and support critical operations worldwide.