Market Report

5G for Defense & Military Use Cases

July 2026

Report Abstract

5G for Defence & Military Use Cases 2026: Private Networks, 5G Slicing, NTN, Sensing & mmWave Tactical Systems | Forecast Through 2031

What This Report Covers

This report analyzes the global 5G infrastructure market for defense and military use cases across five distinct equipment and system categories, with unit and revenue forecasts through 2031 for each category and region. It is the only report to combine top country defense spending plans with wireless infrastructure vendor sales data and direct discussions with government agencies and the global 5G ecosystem — including communications service providers — into a single, validated market forecast.

Five Categories Covered

Private 5G Networks including 5G Deployable Network-in-a-Box The foundational layer of military 5G — from permanent base infrastructure to rapidly deployable cellular systems for field operations and training exercises. These networks are being deployed for smart base operations, tactical networking, and sensing applications including counter-drone protection.

5G Network Slicing Enabling military operators to run multiple isolated, mission-critical virtual networks over shared 5G infrastructure — critical for separating command and control, ISR, and logistics traffic with guaranteed QoS and security boundaries.

5G Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) Satellite and high-altitude 5G nodes extending connectivity beyond the reach of terrestrial infrastructure — essential for maritime, airborne, and remote land operations where ground-based coverage is unavailable or disrupted.

5G Sensing Leveraging 5G signals for passive and active sensing applications including perimeter security, counter-drone detection, and battlefield situational awareness — a fast-emerging category at the intersection of communications and ISR.

5G Millimeter Wave Systems for Tactical Bubbles & Kits High-bandwidth, short-range mmWave systems enabling ultra-high-throughput communications in tactical environments — supporting high-fidelity imagery, biometric data transmission, and command post modernization at the tactical edge.

What You Get


PowerPoint Analysis:

    • Five-category market analysis: private 5G networks, 5G slicing, NTN, sensing & mmWave tactical systems
    • Unit and revenue forecasts through 2031 for each category and region
    • Regional breakdown: North America | Europe Middle East (excl. Russia) | Asia Pacific (excl. China)
    • Top country defense spender analysis correlated with 5G infrastructure vendor sales
    • Government agency engagement insights: U.S. DoW, NATO, and allied defense procurement bodies
    • Vendor ecosystem analysis across the global 5G defence supply chain
Excel Data File:
  • Unit and revenue forecast data by category and region through 2031
  • Vendor ecosystem mapping
  • Definitions and methodology

Report Details

Pages: 64
Published: July 31st 2026
Format: PowerPoint analysis + Excel data file (definitions, methodology, and key assumptions)
Coverage: Private 5G Networks (incl. network-in-a-box) | 5G Slicing | 5G NTN | 5G Sensing | 5G mmWave Tactical Systems
Forecast Period: 2026–2031
Vendors Covered: Airbus Secure Communications, Airspan Networks, Celona, Ceragon Networks, Cisco Systems, Cohere Technologies, Deepsig, Ericsson Federal, Federated Wireless, JMA Wireless, Keysight Technologies, Lion Technology, Microamps Solutions, Nokia Federal Solutions, Nokia Defense, Peraso, Samsung, Thales Group, Tiami Networks, Viavi Solutions
Regions: North America | Europe Middle East (excl. Russia) | Asia Pacific (excl. China)
Delivery: Immediate download

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Stéphane Téral

About the Author

Stéphane Téral, Founder & Chief Analyst

With over 37 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, including 30 years in Silicon Valley, Stéphane Téral is regarded as one of the top analysts in his field, having been the trusted advisor at some of the world's largest telecom providers and manufacturers. He specializes in next-generation wireless infrastructure including 5G and 6G, network disaggregation and automation, cloud and quantum networking, programmable core networks and communications service provider digital transformation.

As an advisor to start-ups, service providers, vendors and the investment community, Stéphane helps clients identify new market opportunities, conducts due diligence, and advises on positioning, product development, business plans and M&A. A highly sought thinker and speaker, Stéphane is frequently quoted in prestigious publications such as The Economist, Nikkei Asia, Le Monde, Les Echos, L’Usine Nouvelle, Barron's, and The Wall Street Journal. He also chairs and presents at global industry events including Brooklyn 6G Summit, FYUZ, GSMA Mobile World Congress, OCP Regional Summit, and NGMN IC&E. Stéphane has been a frequent expert judge for industry and technology innovation awards, such as the GSMA Global Mobile Awards (the GLOMOS), and the Layer123 World Congress.

Stéphane founded TÉRAL RESEARCH in January 2023 after 2 years as a Chief Analyst at LightCounting, which he joined in May 2020, after serving as a Technology Fellow at IHS Markit where he was also rewarded with the 2016 Market Research Excellence Award. Previously, he spent 8 years as a principal analyst at Infonetics Research after starting his analyst career at RHK, where he developed the European optical coverage and helped carriers migrate from PSTN to next-generation networks. Prior to RHK, he was an R&D engineer and project manager with Alcatel where he deployed the CATV optical networks that allowed the 1992 Olympics and the grand opening of Euro Disney to be televised using fiber optics for the first time. Stéphane is a McGowan Scholar at the McLaren School of Business of the University of San Francisco where he received his MBA with an emphasis in telecommunications. He holds an engineering degree in telecommunications from the Institut Polytechnique de Paris, France.