NATO tests drone defence, communications and supplies in the north

When the main connection goes down, the message must find another route. That is one of the tasks to be tried out in Oulu, Finland, this week. Mobile networks, military communications and satellite links are connected to keep communication running during disruptions.

The test touches on a practical prerequisite for defence and preparedness: people must be able to alert each other, share information and coordinate their efforts. This week such connections are being tried out in Finland and Latvia, while allies train to keep sea lanes open and get supplies through to forces in the Baltics.

Finland and Latvia link up the technology

Riihimäki hosts NATO-related test activities on 26–27 October. Demonstrations follow in Oulu on 28–29 October, as part of the NATO Innovation Range, the alliance’s framework for testing new technology.

The initiative for future connections builds on Finnish-Swedish cooperation. According to the University of Oulu’s 6G Test Centre, the demonstration will show how several types of networks can work together when one connection fails. The aim is to maintain communications under demanding conditions.

In Latvia, the links between communications, sensors and systems designed to respond to threats are being tested at the same time. At the Ādaži and Sēlija military bases, nearly 100 companies from more than 20 countries are taking part, together with personnel from allied armed forces.

Latvia’s Ministry of Defence says the trials cover digital infrastructure, counter-drone defence and technology for detecting and engaging targets. The equipment is to be tested together so that information can travel from the first detection of a threat to a military response.

The programme concludes with NATO FUSE, with a press event in Ādaži on Friday 30 October. The trials are meant to help allied forces adopt working solutions more quickly.

Fuel on land, open lines at sea

In Estonia, the final stretch of Brave Blue 26 is about the physical supplies. The exercise began on 16 October and ends on Tuesday 27 October.

Germany and Estonia are training to receive and support German forces. Transport, fuel, accommodation and the organisation of reception areas are all part of it. According to the Estonian Defence Forces, participants will review procedures and resolve practical bottlenecks before forces have to be moved in a real crisis.

The bilateral exercise between the two NATO allies also shows how closely military preparedness is tied to civil society. Defence plans need roads, hauliers, supplies and people who get the work done.

At sea, Neptune Strike 26-4 continues throughout the week. The activity runs from 16 October to 5 November and covers the High North and the protection of vital sea lanes.

NATO lists Britain’s HMS Prince of Wales and Norway’s KNM Fridtjof Nansen among the participants. The activity concerns the sea lanes linking North America and Northern Europe, which the alliance needs to move forces, equipment and supplies.

Europe’s defence ministers meet in Paris

The political part of the week begins on Monday 26 October, when the defence ministers of France, Germany, Britain, Italy and Poland meet in Paris. The countries cooperate in the so-called E5 format.

NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska is attending. According to the alliance’s announcement, the working meetings will address support for Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East. A joint press conference is scheduled for 5 p.m. Norwegian time.

For the Nordic and Baltic countries, the debate over Europe’s defence responsibilities has a concrete yardstick: which deliveries, what funding and which political commitments the European countries will put forward.

Power grids and pipelines on the agenda

In Vilnius, the NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence is bringing together military and civilian experts for FORTE 2026, on 27–29 October.

The conference covers maritime energy security, cyberattacks, artificial intelligence and the protection of critical infrastructure. The programme includes power grids, pipelines and supply points on which military operations depend.

The same energy systems keep hospitals, workplaces and homes running. In Vilnius, participants will discuss how these connections can be secured when digital attacks and physical damage threaten supplies.