NATO, China and telecom companies are developing ways to use cellular antennas to detect and track drones, even when they are not connected to the network and transmit nothing, according to Israel Defense. The technology, Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC), analyzes 5G radio waves that bounce off objects and, across several antennas, estimates a drone's position, speed and heading. Unlike systems that intercept the link between a drone and its operator, it can detect autonomous drones too.
In October NATO tested 5G infrastructure for object detection in Exercise FUSE in Latvia, with nearly 400 drones and representatives from more than 30 nations, but has not released performance data. Ericsson has introduced an ISAC system built on existing antennas, edge computing and AI, and plans commercial trials in 2027 and broader deployment from 2028; in a trial with AT&T in the US it demonstrated drone tracking on a commercial cellular network. In Anyang, China, a 5G-Advanced network already monitors blood-delivery drones.
According to the article, performance depends on antenna density, frequency bands and terrain, and jamming, cyberattacks and damage to infrastructure can degrade it. Using civilian networks also raises privacy and legal liability questions. The expectation is that cellular networks will not replace dedicated radars but add a wide detection layer.