The European Defence Fund (EDF)-backed Modular Architecture Solution for EU States (MARSEUS) project, spearheaded by MBDA France, has achieved a significant milestone in its mission to transform European close-combat capabilities. Recent testing has validated the integration of the Akeron LP missile into the program’s modular combat architecture, demonstrating real-time Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) targeting with coordinated robotic and manned systems. Launched in December 2022, MARSEUS is a 36-month, €27.3 million effort aimed at creating a unified European framework for collaborative combat operations. The project builds directly on the LynkEUs initiative under the European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP 2019), extending its research into practical battlefield applications. Backed by €25 million from the EDF, MARSEUS brings together 15 organizations from Belgium, France, Sweden, and Cyprus—including industry leaders such as John Cockerill Defense, Arquus, SAAB Dynamics, and BAE Systems Hägglunds.
At the heart of the MARSEUS architecture lies MBDA’s Akeron LP missile, a fifth-generation guided weapon system boasting AI-powered image processing, in-flight retargeting, and a 20 km range when launched from air platforms. Designed with multi-domain lethality, the Akeron LP can neutralize armored targets, infrastructure, ships, helicopters, and personnel using an advanced multi-effect warhead and selectable dual-mode seeker (optical and infrared). These features allow it to operate effectively under various environmental conditions while supporting third-party target designation—vital for survivability and flexibility in modern warfare. Key demonstrations conducted throughout 2023 and 2024 have showcased the Akeron LP integrated with the IMPACT turret on various platforms, including the Arquus Sherpa and Milrem Robotics’ Type-X unmanned ground vehicle (UGV). The Type-X, first revealed in 2020, plays a central role in MARSEUS as a remote-operated robotic combat platform. Its high modularity allows it to carry up to 50mm autocannons, ATGMs, SAMs, and more. The UGV is designed for AI-assisted autonomous operation, enabling high-risk reconnaissance or engagement tasks while minimizing troop exposure.
Supporting ISR and target designation are systems like Novadem’s NX70 drone, providing real-time battlefield awareness and forward observation, thereby enabling precise BLOS engagements. The MARSEUS program also focuses on integrating human-in-the-loop and human-on-the-loop engagement protocols, maintaining ethical and doctrinal alignment within European military standards. Notably, MARSEUS isn’t solely a hardware development project. It also includes doctrinal innovation via the establishment of a “users’ club” aimed at harmonizing BLOS concepts across EU member states, and collaborative joint training modules to improve operator readiness and system interoperability. Through these efforts, MARSEUS is laying the foundation for a scalable, interoperable European defense architecture—leveraging AI, robotics, and precision-guided munitions to ensure battlefield superiority in contested environments. With full operational demonstrations expected by late 2025, the program is on track to deliver not just capability, but a model for future EU defence collaboration in the BLOS domain.
