As Europe races to adapt to a rapidly changing security environment shaped by the war in Ukraine, emerging technologies such as drones, AI and 5G communications are redefining modern warfare. Salvis Skladovs, director of LMT Defence – the defence technology division of Latvia’s telecommunications company LMT – discusses with The Baltic Times Magazine Europe’s preparedness for drone warfare, the strategic importance of communications infrastructure, cyber threats facing the Baltic states and the growing role of private technology companies in defence.
Is Europe seriously prepared for modern drone warfare?
Not yet. But is anyone truly ready apart from Ukraine?
Europe now understands the threat, but the sense of urgency – and the perception of the threat itself – differs significantly between the Eastern Flank and countries in Western and Southern Europe.
Funding and policy initiatives are finally gaining momentum. However, industrial capacity and the legal framework are still lagging.
Has the war in Ukraine fundamentally changed LMT Defence’s approach?
Russia’s invasion fundamentally transformed the entire defence industry. LMT has been working on defence technologies since 2018, and for us too this marked a major turning point.
We have been cooperating with and learning from Ukrainian partners since April 2022. We continue to adapt and improve our products and development priorities based on the lessons learned from Ukraine.
Can small countries like Latvia realistically become global innovators?
Absolutely. In fact, they already are.
Latvia is unlikely to launch a national main battle tank or fighter jet programme in the foreseeable future. However, by leveraging our engineering traditions, creativity, rapid development cycles and a highly compact ecosystem, we can become global leaders in technologies shaping the future battlefield – autonomous systems, communications, C4ISR solutions, AI and related fields.
For example, Latvia hosts Europe’s first military 5G test site, where NATO’s largest digital backbone experimentation exercise will take place for the fifth consecutive year.
How vulnerable are the Baltic states to cyberattacks and communication disruption?
Latvia’s cybersecurity environment remains sensitive.
According to CERT.LV, the number of cyber incidents has increased sixfold since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Attacks are becoming increasingly hybrid in nature – combining technological exploits with AI-driven social engineering.
Remarkably, despite the scale and intensity of these attacks, the Baltics have not suffered any major long-term or high-impact incidents. This reflects the strength of our cyber defences and the maturity of our incident response capabilities.
Modern warfare increasingly depends on networks, data flows and real-time coordination. Tanks, missiles, drones, satellites, electronic warfare systems and command centres are only as effective as the communications infrastructure connecting them.
5G is not simply “faster mobile internet”. It forms part of the infrastructure layer enabling autonomous systems, drone swarms, battlefield sensing and related capabilities.
That is why countries increasingly view telecommunications infrastructure as a national security issue rather than purely a commercial matter.
Another way to look at it is this: connectivity is like oxygen. Few people think about it until it disappears. Then it rapidly becomes a top priority.
Tanks, missiles and drones are extremely expensive – and largely useless – if they cannot communicate with one another.
At the same time, democracies, like ours, must debate how to harness private-sector innovation without allowing critical defence decisions, infrastructure or strategic leverage to become overly concentrated in corporate hands.
Elon Musk and Starlink’s role in Ukraine is a clear example of how a corporate executive can significantly influence military dynamics on the ground.
Salvis Skladovs is the acting head and director of LMT Defence, the defence and public safety arm of Latvia’s mobile operator Latvijas Mobilais Telefons (LMT). He is one of the more visible voices in the Baltic defence-tech sector, particularly on military communications, 5G-enabled battlefield systems, autonomous technologies and NATO digital infrastructure projects.
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