In a bold move to reshape military logistics and close the gap between innovation and battlefield application, the European Defence Agency (EDA) has launched its first-ever Defence Innovation Operational Experimentation (OPEX) campaign — a large-scale trial bringing together military forces and tech developers from across the continent.
Held at Italy’s Montelibretti military training ground, the exercise simulated combat-zone supply missions using drones and unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), echoing tactics successfully deployed by Ukrainian forces. The goal: accelerate Europe’s ability to resupply troops using unmanned platforms, bypassing traditional bottlenecks and frontline risks.
Companies from six countries showcased next-gen systems, with UAVs provided by Portugal’s Beyond Vision, Greece’s Altus LSA, and Austria’s Schiebel, while UGVs came from Spain’s Alysis, Poland’s PIAP, and Germany’s ARX Robotics. These systems maneuvered through challenging terrain and mock combat scenarios, closely observed by military representatives from Italy, Germany, France, and others.
“The Ukraine war has collapsed the innovation timeline — what used to take years is now happening in weeks,” said EDA Chief Executive André Denk. “This event proves that Europe can shift from lab-tested prototypes to field-ready assets faster than ever before.”
The campaign also addressed the so-called “valley of death” in defense innovation — where promising technologies often stall due to a lack of coordination between inventors and users. The EDA hopes OPEX will become a recurring format to bridge that gap.
With operational trials continuing at Nettuno near Rome, EDA officials confirmed that Ukrainian military advisors had helped design realistic combat scenarios, ensuring relevance and tactical insight. One key demonstration involved a UAV delivering a payload to a UGV, which then completed the resupply mission to a simulated frontline — a modular logistics chain tailored for contested environments.
“These joint exercises aren’t just about testing machines,” said one EDA spokesperson. “They’re about reshaping doctrine, improving responsiveness, and fostering pan-European collaboration in a rapidly changing defense landscape.”
As European armies now get a firsthand look at emerging technologies — many of which were previously unknown to them — the EDA aims to publish a blueprint outlining how such systems can be quickly adopted across EU member states.
With geopolitical tensions rising, Europe is clearly learning from Ukraine’s resilience — and adapting fast.
