Uncrewed systems tested in first EU-wide campaign in Italy
NewsJuly 07, 2025
MONTELIBRETTI, Italy. Six European defense firms demonstrated uncrewed aerial and ground systems as part of the European Defence Agency’s (EDA) first European Defence Innovation Operational Experimentation (OPEX) campaign, the agency announced in a statement.
The campaign, conducted at the Italian Army’s Multifunctional Experimentation Centre near Rome, tested technologies in realistic operational conditions. It marks the first EU-level effort to coordinate live field experimentation among multiple Member States, the statement reads.
Participating companies included BEYOND VISION (Portugal), ALTUS LSA (Greece), SCHIEBEL (Austria), ALYSIS (Spain), PIAP (Poland), and ARX ROBOTICS (Germany). Each firm was awarded a contract in one of six categories, ranging from low-cost uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) to tracked logistical uncrewed ground systems (UGS), according to the statement.
Testing took place over several weeks in progressive phases, moving from basic system evaluation to integrated cross-domain operations. Simulated missions focused on autonomous logistics and coordination between UAS and UGS platforms, the agency says.
The campaign was developed under the Hub for EU Defence Innovation (HEDI), with operational support from French firm EXTENSEE. Future OPEX campaigns are expected to expand in scope and contribute to long-term EU defense planning, the statement adds.
