The role of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (drones) in military operations has been well documented, from reconnaissance and surveillance to precision strikes, evidenced by their proliferation in conflicts worldwide. While military adoption of drone technology has been widespread and well-documented, the integration of mobile networks into these systems is not widely understood or publicised, despite the key role they play.

• An exploration into the history of military drones using mobile networks in conflict, drawing on examples from the battlefield.
• The evolution of UAVs and mobile communications, from initial trials in the early 2010s, to the inclusion of drone systems in the latest 5G standards.
• A look into the future of mobile network connected UAVs in war, exploring how drones could leverage evolving technologies for communications.
• Finally, we move from theory to defense, with an in-depth analysis into the countermeasures nations can use to combat drones using mobile networks offensively. The white paper evaluates the impact of six defensive countermeasures, from country-wide network shut down, to blocking specific SIMs or devices.