By the end of September 2025, an important step was made for European Defence, with the successful final demonstrations of the MarsEUs project (Modular Architecture Solution for EU States) , taking place in Belgian military camp "King Albert" in Marche-en-Famenne.
Second phase of the European global project dedicated to Ground Combat - started in 2020 with EDIDP LynkEUs project – EDF MarsEUs project addresses the need for greater European Defence autonomy and superiority, by proposing further enhancements on the Beyond the Line Of Sight (BLOS) technology.
With a European Union funding of 25M€, this project led by MBDA was launched in 2022 and includes a consortium of 11 countries and 23 different European partners and sub-contractors, working all together on a common goal: to develop a collaborative close combat architecture enhancing existing missile systems with a Beyond-Line-Of-Sight capability. Based on MBDA AKERON family, MarsEUs will provide Europe a complete autonomy in controlling the ground combat capabilities, in a context of high-intensity war.
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Download free sample pages More informationMBDA and its thirteen partners from Belgium (Ecole Royale Militaire, John Cockerill Defense, FN Herstal and Xenics), Cyprus (Additess and SignalGenerix), France (Novadem, ATOS, ARQUUS and DELAIR) and Sweden (SAAB, BAE Hägglunds and Exensor), as well as their eight subcontractors from eight countries, worked on two main elements:
The integration of MBDA AKERON MP and AKERON LP on various turrets and carriers
The collaborative deployment of these munitions through a BMS (Battle Management System), alongside sensors and EMS (Effects Management System) integration
After 3 years of collaboration and development, the consortium set up a complete demonstration, in order to showcase the main achievements of this European programme, displaying a real-life scenario including simulated firings beyond the direct line of sight, illustrating the capabilities of collaborative combat and features of MarsEUs.
With representatives of the European Commission, of PESCO BLOS and PESCO group’s armed forces (including France, Belgium, Cyprus and Sweden), plus also representatives of other European armed forces (Luxembourg in particular), alongside some representatives of project manufacturers, this demonstration was the first time a coordinated manoeuver - involving vehicules, dismounted infrantrymen, sensors, drones and munitions – was conducted in a realistic scenario. Attendees were in the front row to discover all steps of such a ground combat scenario, from munition integration to sensor deployment, and of course precise presentation of this performing material.
The consortium is now entering a new phase: AktarEUs (Advanced Knowledge for indirect Trajectory Attack at long Range for EU states). With this new European project - starting from end of2025 until 2028, the consortium will continue raising the maturity of a European BLOS capability by coming another step closer to future defence products. The BLOS system will offer system integration on multiple land and naval platforms with an integrated tactical network, EMS integration for collaborative close combat engagement and a dedicated training system. The key objectives are developing an integrated BLOS system in conditions representative of operational use, enhancing cost-effectiveness and lifecycle efficiency.
"The Modular ARchitecture Solution for EU States (MARSEUS) project (101103595) is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them."
