Crystal Arrow: scale, timeline and the testing mandate
From May 5–15, the Latvian-led NATO exercise Crystal Arrow convened in Sēlija, southeastern Latvia, roughly 180 kilometers (112 miles) from the Russian border, to put hundreds of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) through brigade-level trials. NATO’s Task Force X (TFX) selected European manufacturers to test their platforms under the Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative, an effort described in reporting as aimed at accelerating adoption of new defense technologies. The exercise represents the alliance's first large-scale, brigade-level testing of UGVs in the Baltic state.
Starlink and the canopy: line-of-sight limitations exposed
Multiple operators reported significant communication challenges when UGVs moved into dense forest. Many of those platforms relied on Starlink as a primary communications link, and users said vegetation rapidly degraded or blocked the line-of-sight required to maintain high-speed, continuous connections. The anonymous Latvian soldier, who operated a Natrix UGV during the exercise, said the canopy problem can cause links to "degrade very rapidly" or disappear altogether.
When asked about reliance on an American satellite system, the soldier added he would not feel comfortable with Starlink as the single connection option, saying that "with recent developments we’ve seen it can be beneficial but also subject to disappearing suddenly." A request for comment to SpaceX was not returned.
Natrix UGV: layered radios and mission roles
The Natrix, a Latvian-made UGV tested here and previously used in Ukraine, was deployed primarily for logistics and medical evacuation tasks during Crystal Arrow. According to the operator, the platform carried three communications systems: Starlink plus a medium, longer-range radio and a closer-range radio. That configuration was intended so "if one fails, the other can take over," the soldier said — a tacit acknowledgement of the need for redundancy when satellite links are compromised by terrain.
Raven-B drones: aerial systems hit by the same constraint
The communication problem was not limited to ground robots. Canadian soldiers serving in a reconnaissance unit within NATO’s Multinational Brigade in Latvia reported similar signal hiccups with aerial systems. Corporal Elana Clement described the effect plainly: "How high and dense the tree line is messes with our equipment and signal," she told reporters during the exercise while discussing deployment of the American-made Raven-B drone.
Latvia’s woods, winter conditions and contrasting terrain in Ukraine
Latvia’s Investment and Development Agency notes that forests cover 50 percent of the country’s territory, making it one of the most wooded states in Europe. By contrast, Ukraine — identified in the reporting as operating the largest number of combat robots in active combat — has woodlands covering around 16 percent of its territory, creating a more open operational environment. Maj. Eduards Šinkūns, the exercise director and Commander of the Latvian Infantry Battalion, pointed to those differences directly: "In Ukraine, the line of sight is much further — in Latvia it is much closer," he said, adding that Latvia can use that terrain "as an advantage" for blocking roads and other defensive measures.
Maj. Šinkūns also flagged seasonal mobility as a constraint: warmer months permit easier off-road movement for vehicles, including UGVs, while harsh Latvian winters make off-road maneuverability nearly impossible due to mud.
What this means for Maj. Eduards Šinkūns, NATO Task Force X, and European manufacturers
- Maj. Eduards Šinkūns (exercise director): will need to factor dense-tree-line communications limits and seasonal mobility into doctrine and defensive plans, using terrain for blocking and maneuver when appropriate.
- NATO’s Task Force X: will have to assess communications redundancy and platform performance in heavily wooded environments as it scales UGV testing across the Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative.
- European manufacturers of UGVs: face an operational requirement to integrate layered radios and other non-satellite links or to improve satellite performance under canopy if their systems are to be effective in Latvia’s terrain.
Crystal Arrow exposed a clear trade-off: the alliance is accelerating robotics at scale, but Latvia’s dense woodlands and seasonal conditions materially change how those systems must communicate and move. The exercise runs through May 15, and participants are testing redundancy options in real time; whether adjustments to platform design or doctrine follow will be revealed in the weeks and months after the trials. SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment about the reported satellite issues.
