How Mobile Networks Are Changing Drone Warfare

Recent conflicts have highlighted the increasing role of mobile-connected UAVs in modern warfare. In June 2025, a large-scale drone operation demonstrated how civilian mobile networks can be used to support drone operations at scale.

This white paper from GSMA Member Enea explores how we arrived at that point. It traces the evolution of mobile communications and drone technology from academic trials in the early 2010s, through the widespread rollout of 3G and 4G networks, to the formal inclusion of drone-related capabilities in 5G standards. Over that period, the use of mobile networks to enable UAVs moved from an experimental concept to operational use cases, enabling UAVs to carry location data, telemetry, and audio-visual information, as well as allowing for remote control of the drones in some cases.

What makes this convergence especially important is that it was long overlooked. For years, military thinking largely assumed civilian mobile networks would play little or no role in drone communications. The events in Ukraine have shown that assumption to be wrong. By examining both Russian and Ukrainian drone development, and drawing on downed and captured systems, the report reveals a steady progression in how drones leverage mobile connectivity, from basic positioning to richer data transmission, and ultimately to remote operation in certain scenarios.

The result is a battlefield where communications choices are shaped by mission, environment, and threat. Some drones use mobile networks for telemetry or fallback connectivity, while others rely on them as their primary control channel, especially when operating deep behind enemy lines where other links may be unreliable or unavailable.

This report also compares mobile communications with other technologies drones can leverage today, including radio, satellite, fibre-optic, and mesh systems. Each has strengths and weaknesses, but the central insight is that mobile-connected drones are not confined to one drone class or mission type. They are being used wherever the operational requirement, terrain, and communications environment make them the most effective option. Mobile operators, regulators, and defenders now need to understand how such systems behave in real-world conflict.

Drone use of mobile networks in combat is no longer a theoretical concern, it is becoming a practical national security requirement. This paper examines a range of countermeasures, from broad shutdowns to more targeted filtering, inspection, and device-based controls, and considers the trade-offs of each. The lesson from Ukraine is clear: mobile networks are now part of the drone warfare equation, and resilience against this threat must become part of every country’s security planning.

Access the white paper from Enea ‘Riders on the Cellular Storm’.

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