In a pioneering move to bolster European defence capabilities, the European Defence Agency (EDA) recently orchestrated its first-ever EU-level operational experimentation campaign. The event, which took place on July 3, 2025, at the Italian Army’s Multifunctional Experimentation Centre (CEPOLISPE) in Montelibretti, focused on testing the real-world application of unmanned aerial and ground systems.
According to the European Defence Agency, this inaugural Operational Experimentation (OPEX) campaign was conducted under the banner of the Hub for EU Defence Innovation (HEDI). The initiative is designed to create a new, cross-border model for collaboration among Member States, moving beyond purely national efforts.
The primary goal of the campaign is to close the gap between innovative defence technologies and their practical use by military forces. A release from the agency mentioned that this effort aims to overcome the so-called “valley of death,” a common challenge where promising innovations fail to become operational capabilities. By testing these unmanned systems in realistic scenarios, the EDA, Member States, and industry can jointly evaluate and refine the technologies.
During the event, a number of European companies had the opportunity to showcase and test their latest unmanned systems. The campaign unfolded in progressively complex stages, starting with the assessment of individual systems and culminating in fully integrated, cross-domain missions. These simulations centered on autonomous logistics, a critical area for modern military operations.
The European Defence Agency stated that this hands-on experimentation provides crucial insights into operational concepts, training needs, and interoperability challenges. It represents a strategic shift towards using experimentation to inform long-term defence planning.
The Distinguished Visitors’ Day for the event saw the attendance of high-level representatives, including the EDA’s Chief Executive, André Denk. In his remarks, he emphasized the accelerating pace of change in security and technology, noting that speeding up innovation from the laboratory to the field is essential for operational relevance.
Future OPEX campaigns are planned as a recurring effort under HEDI, to be hosted by different Member States and expanded to cover a wider array of emerging technologies.
The following companies participated in the landmark campaign:
