The European Defence Agency (EDA) and the European External Action Service (EEAS) signed an agreement on 25 March to grant access to the latest version of the maritime surveillance network, known as MARSUR III.
The new agreement replaces a 2021 arrangement and extends MARSUR’s use to the
Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC), the body responsible for planning and overseeing EU military missions, as well as to operational headquarters running the EU’s naval missions. The expansion follows a test in early 2025 at the headquarters of the naval mission
EUNAVFOR MED IRINI in Rome, where the system was used in a live operational context, which led EU military staff to formally request broader access to MARSUR’s capabilities.
Under the agreement, EEAS will be able to install and operate its own terminals connected to the MARSUR network. This will allow its staff to receive and share live maritime data including ship tracking, alerts and reports with European navies and mission headquarters, and to request technical support or training where needed.
MARSUR III is an EDA project designed to enable the automated exchange of maritime surveillance information among the navies of 16 participating Member States.
The project is embedded within the wider MARSUR community, a long-standing voluntary cooperation framework established in 2005 that brings together 23 European nations committed to improving maritime awareness. While the community provides the operational framework, MARSUR III delivers the technological capability used for day-to-day information exchange.