European Defence Agency conducts first EU-level OPEX campaign to test unmanned systems

This campaign marked the first operational experimentation of its kind at EU level, introducing a cross-border model of collaboration between Member States. While previous efforts have been conducted nationally, OPEX signals a shift towards joint European innovation in defence.

“Security, warfare, and technology are changing at an accelerating pace,” said André Denk, Chief Executive of EDA, during the Distinguished Visitors’ Day. “Accelerating innovation from the lab to the field is our ticket to operational relevance.”

OPEX supports HEDI’s goal of bridging the gap between promising technologies and their operational use by testing systems in realistic conditions. It enables industry, Member States, and military end-users to jointly evaluate and refine emerging capabilities, helping overcome the “valley of death” in defence innovation.

Unlike conventional demonstrations, OPEX emphasises experimentation as a strategic approach to inform defence planning. It delivers insights into operational concepts, training, and interoperability challenges, while showcasing technologies such as autonomous systems, drones, and electronic interference platforms.

The campaign was carried out in multiple phases, progressing from testing individual systems to fully integrated cross-domain operations. Participants included BEYOND VISION (Portugal), ALTUS LSA (Greece), SCHIEBEL (Austria), ALYSIS (Spain), PIAP (Poland), and ARX ROBOTICS (Germany), who conducted coordinated tactical simulations focusing on autonomous logistics in lifelike scenarios.

In its final phase, the campaign tested these systems in complex multi-domain environments, offering valuable understanding of how such technologies may fit into future military operations. This helped evaluate their integration into evolving force structures.

The Distinguished Visitors’ Day welcomed senior figures, including Brigadier General Pierpaolo Dotoli, Director of CEPOLISPE, Admiral Giacinto Ottaviani, Italy’s National Armaments Director, Deputy NAD Luisa Riccardi, and EDA’s Director for Research, Technology and Innovation, Nathalie Guichard. Guichard highlighted HEDI’s role in accelerating EU-wide defence innovation.

OPEX is set to become a recurring initiative under HEDI, with future editions to be hosted by different Member States. These campaigns will broaden their focus to include a wider array of technologies, feeding directly into EU defence capability planning.

The campaign was delivered by a support team led by French company EXTENSEE, which collaborated with EDA and Italian authorities on its design and implementation. Contracts for the campaign were awarded in July 2024 through a competitive procurement process across six technology categories:

• Low-Cost Attritable UAS: BEYOND VISION (Portugal)
• VTOL UAS: ALTUS LSA (Greece)
• Heavy Lift VTOL UAS: SCHIEBEL (Austria)
• Low-Cost Attritable UGS: ALYSIS (Spain)
• Medium Wheeled Logistical UGS: PIAP (Poland)
• Medium Tracked Logistical UGS: ARX ROBOTICS (Germany)