“Revolutionizing Defense: SITEP ITALIA and SMA-RTY Unveil Next-Gen Private 5G Networks at OPEX TASK 2-25”

SITEP ITALIA and SMA-RTY excelled in the Italian Navy’s OPEX TASK 2-25 operational experimentation conducted in October 2025 in the Gulf of Taranto, showcasing the efficacy of private 5G networks in real-world operational environments.

OPEX (Operational Experimentations) are initiatives instituted by the Italian Navy aimed at validating innovative technological advancements in authentic multi-domain scenarios. These serve as a strategic framework to assess the operational efficiency, resilience, and interoperability of cutting-edge systems under realistic conditions.

Building on the achievements of OPEX TASK 1-25 in La Spezia, where various unmanned vehicles, ISR capabilities, and C-UAV systems were tested, OPEX TASK 2-25 focused on enhancing cooperation among diverse naval platforms.

This event involved numerous Italian Navy vessels, providing a distinctive platform for field-validation of domestic 5G technology. The demonstration highlighted its superior performance over traditional solutions in energy efficiency, compactness, and operational capability in dynamic settings.

Tactical 5G: Compact and High-Performance

The private 5G network implemented during OPEX TASK 2-25 features advanced technical specifications, including a compact, portable system within a flight case. It encompasses a technological core that can establish a fully autonomous 5G network in mere seconds, with an impressive power consumption of only 200W.

This provides a marked competitive edge compared to conventional enterprise solutions, which generally require larger 15U racks and consume up to 10 kW. In tactical scenarios where resources are limited, this discrepancy translates into enhanced operational flexibility and sustainability.

Operational Scenarios Demonstrated

Throughout the exercise, five operational scenarios were successfully showcased, illustrating the technology’s versatility:

• Intra-Ship Communications: Enabled real-time sharing of video feeds from onboard cameras, ensuring situational awareness for all personnel.
• Ship-to-Ship Communications: Supported bidirectional transmission of four simultaneous high-definition video streams between naval units, maintaining quality and reliability even in fluctuating operational contexts.
• Remote Telemetry: Facilitated a connection between a vessel’s control center and an advanced anti-drone jamming system on another ship, underlining remote control capabilities for Electronic Warfare. The proposed 5G network not only provides connectivity to devices but can also act as an information source, enhancing operational decision-making.
• Server-less Videoconferencing: Established live audio-video communication between two naval units without centralized infrastructure, ensuring operational capability even in degraded environments while maintaining utmost privacy.
• Performance Testing: Successfully validated network performance over increasing distances, achieving 196 Mbps over several kilometers, utilizing limited bandwidth and lightweight passive antennas.

These impressive offshore results confirm that the solutions from SITEP ITALIA and SMA-RTY ensure high-capacity, low-latency connectivity, even in harsh environmental conditions susceptible to interference and signal degradation.

The Future of Autonomous Defense

The insights gained during OPEX TASK 2-25 reinforce the roles of SITEP ITALIA and SMA-RTY as pivotal system integrators within modern defense frameworks.

With developments fueled by funding from three programs under the National Military Research Plan (PNRM), these companies provide an ecosystem that aligns with the nation’s advanced robotics needs. Their specialized private 5G communications systems are designed to interconnect naval platforms, infrastructures, and unmanned systems in both fleets and autonomous swarms.

The capacity to deliver highly reliable communications with low latency and optimized energy consumption firmly positions our technology as a critical enabler for next-generation autonomous platforms. In these platforms, resilient connectivity and intelligent resource management are vital for success.

Ultimately, while the trial centered on ship-to-ship communications, the outcomes mark a significant advancement toward broader applications, particularly in multi-domain operations where real-time, dependable connectivity across naval, air, and land platforms is crucial.