From 18 to 20 February 2025, the European Defence Agency held the MARSUR III Operational Demonstration at the Operational Headquarters of the European Union Naval Force Mediterranean Operation IRINI (EUNAVFOR MED IRINI) in Rome, Italy.
The promotion of maritime situational awareness has long been a goal of the European Defence Agency (EDA), and was among its earliest efforts after the Agency’s creation in 2004. There has been steady progress among Europe’s navies towards interoperable situational awareness at sea since then, along with growing interest from EU institutions for its crucial support for Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions and operations.
At the forefront of this effort is the Agency’s 20-years old Maritime Surveillance (MARSUR) project, which knits together 22 navies for the exchange of maritime surveillance information.
Around 100 participants and approximately 30 partners from European armed forces and navies, the EU Military Staff (EUMS), the European External Action Service (EEAS), FRONTEX, European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), SATCEN, Allied Maritime Command, EU Operational Headquarters, academia and industry, gathered over three days from 18 to 20 February 2025, to see MARSUR deployed in a real scenario of CSDP operations.
“This demonstration highlights the Member States’ continuous need to cooperate and to share information to ensure Maritime Security” said Stefano Cont, EDA’s Capability, Armament & Planning (CAP) Director. “Operational output is the requirement. Successfully meeting all objectives during the demonstration underlines the critical role of the MARSUR project for Maritime Domain Awareness.”
The demonstration scenarios
GMV, the main industry partner for MARSUR III, conducted a live demo to show how the system helps EU Member States to share information. The demo focused on two scenarios: tracking illegal arms trafficking to/from Libya and monitoring illegal migration, both crucial missions for Operation IRINI. In one case, a suspicious vessel was first detected in German waters and tracked as it moved towards Libya, with IRINI headquarters coordinating actions using MARSUR’s chat, maps, and satellite images.
For the second scenario, human smuggling and trafficking, the Cypriot Navy triggered the operation via MARSUR by reporting an unidentified vessel entering IRINI’s eastern area of operations. Through the use of maritime air assets and shadowing by the Italian Navy Frigate “Grecale”, the vessel was then identified as a small cargo vessel with 300 people on board entering Italian territorial waters for follow-up action.
The demonstration highlighted how MARSUR III integrates data from national Maritime Operations Centres and ships to create a comprehensive maritime picture. By simulating real-life scenarios, it showcased the system’s effectiveness in supporting real-time decision-making and coordination during operations.
About EDA
EDA supports its 27 Member States in improving their defence capabilities through European cooperation. Acting as an enabler and facilitator for Ministries of Defence willing to engage in collaborative capability projects, the Agency has become the ‘hub’ for European defence cooperation with expertise and networks allowing it to address the whole spectrum of capabilities.