The short answer is yes, but with important caveats.
There are really two related topics here:
- Using commercial 5G technologies for defense and peacekeeping
- Using satellite-based 5G (like AST SpaceMobile) as part of those networks
These are both active areas of development, but they are generally intended to augment rather than replace traditional military communications.
Why 5G is interesting for defense
Modern military and peacekeeping operations rely on huge amounts of data rather than just voice radio. 5G brings several capabilities that are attractive:
- High-bandwidth video from drones and body cameras
- Low-latency command and control
- Large numbers of connected sensors (IoT)
- Edge computing close to the battlefield
- Network slicing, allowing different users to have separate virtual networks
- Better support for autonomous systems
For peacekeeping missions, the requirements are often different from high-intensity combat. Typical uses include:
- Disaster response
- Humanitarian assistance
- Monitoring ceasefires
- Border surveillance
- Logistics
- Medical telemedicine
- Communications between multinational forces
Because these operations often occur in remote areas with poor infrastructure, communications are a constant challenge.
Why satellites matter
Terrestrial 5G towers don't exist everywhere.
That's where Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN)—essentially integrating satellites into the 5G standard—come in. 3GPP has been adding NTN support to make satellites appear as another part of a mobile network rather than a completely separate system.
Instead of carrying a dedicated satellite phone, a responder or soldier could potentially use an ordinary smartphone when outside cellular coverage.
Is AST SpaceMobile actually involved?
Yes.
AST SpaceMobile is building a direct-to-cell satellite network that connects standard 4G/5G phones without special hardware. The company explicitly identifies government, defense, emergency response, and public safety as target markets alongside commercial users.
Some publicly known milestones include:
- successful voice, video, and 5G demonstrations from space
- public safety testing with FirstNet
- demonstrations for government defense use cases
- partnerships with U.S. mobile operators
- work with government technology partners such as Fairwinds Technologies.
Are militaries using it operationally?
This is where it's important to separate testing from deployment.
Public information shows:
- Defense-related demonstrations have occurred.
- U.S. defense organizations have funded research and prototype efforts involving AST's technology.
- AST announced its first activation for government defense use cases in 2025.
However, there is no public evidence that AST SpaceMobile has become a primary operational communications system for military forces in combat.
Instead, current work appears focused on:
- experimentation
- prototype development
- interoperability
- resilience testing
- specialized government applications
Why would the military use commercial 5G?
This trend is called dual-use technology.
Commercial companies invest billions into:
- radios
- chips
- satellites
- software
- network management
Defense organizations can leverage that investment instead of developing every technology from scratch.
Examples include:
- disaster response after infrastructure is destroyed
- communications for reserve or logistics units
- connecting remote bases
- humanitarian missions
- backup communications if terrestrial networks fail
But wouldn't commercial 5G be vulnerable?
By itself, yes.
Military communications generally require additional features beyond standard commercial 5G:
- end-to-end encryption
- anti-jam techniques
- low probability of intercept/detection (LPI/LPD)
- authenticated users
- hardened infrastructure
- cyber defenses
- operation when parts of the network are degraded
Interestingly, publicly available U.S. research projects involving Fairwinds Technologies and AST have discussed adapting 5G waveforms with additional anti-jam and low-observability features for military use, rather than relying on standard commercial protocols unchanged.
Where this is likely headed
The broader direction is toward hybrid communications rather than replacing existing military systems.
A future peacekeeping or military force might use:
- terrestrial 5G where available
- satellite direct-to-device services like AST in remote regions
- dedicated military satellite systems
- tactical radios
- mesh networking
- fiber and microwave backhaul
The network would automatically choose the best available path.
So, projects like AST SpaceMobile are best viewed as an additional layer of resilient connectivity, particularly valuable for remote operations, emergency response, and situations where conventional cellular infrastructure is unavailable or has been damaged—not as a replacement for the highly specialized communications systems used for the most demanding military missions.
