Oracle has won yet another contract with NATO, having partnered with the alliance's Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence (CCDCOE) on designing private 5G networks for the battlefield.

Having secured a cloud contract with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) in September, the tech giant, along with partner Druid Software, will now help to create private networks for NATO research and war gaming efforts.

NATO’s cyber defense hub will use solutions like Oracle’s 5G Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP) as it conducts cyber defense exercises, trialing technologies capable of protecting critical infrastructure from external threats.

Oracle’s SEPP offering comes equipped with GSMA-recommended firewall capabilities, as well as tools that help to encrypt data both in transit and at rest, to ensure maximum network security.

“Secure, resilient 5G adds a vital layer to existing communications, while portable, private networks with seamless roaming enable faster, more effective data sharing, keeping NATO forces a step ahead of adversaries,” said CCDCOE director Tõnis Saar.

A pilot program conducted by the Tallinn, Estonia-based NATO unit verified Oracle’s SEEP for ensuring 5G roaming communications across allied networks. SEPP software was deployed on Druid’s 5G Raemis core network over Oracle Roving Edge Devices, which the pair contend will safeguard transmissions of sensitive battlefield and research data.

The Oracle tests come after CCDCOE joined other NATO partner nations ahead of Crossed Swords, the alliance’s annual flagship cyber exercise. The agency was among those partaking in rehearsals ahead of the full exercise in November, which examines both offensive and defensive cyber capabilities.

“Safeguarding mission-critical and sensitive information over communications networks is paramount to national and global security,” said Andrew Morawski, EVP and GM for Oracle Regulated Industries. “By bolstering 5G data security across roaming networks, Oracle technologies will help NATO forces enhance data integrity and gain operational advantages in high-stakes scenario planning and testing.”

Oracle’s earlier NATO deal will see the cloud giant move on-premise workloads to the cloud for NATO’s Communications and Information Agency (NCIA). The agency defends the alliance’s networks, providing secure and interoperable communications and information systems.