EUDEX: Drones and robotics are shaping developments

Connectivity even under challenging conditions

In the military sector, experience from the war against Ukraine has significantly accelerated the development of unmanned systems. Drones are being used at different levels of command for reconnaissance and surveillance, target acquisition and the transport of payloads. Alongside specialised military platforms, comparatively simple and cost-effective systems have also gained operational importance.

Requirements now extend far beyond range and payload. Military drones must also be able to navigate and communicate in environments affected by electronic interference. Satellite navigation and radio communications cannot be assumed to remain continuously available. Alternative navigation methods, different communication channels and the ability to continue performing certain tasks even when communications are disrupted are therefore becoming increasingly important.

Counter-drone defence becomes a key task

As unmanned aerial vehicles become more widespread, the need for suitable countermeasures is growing. Small drones pose particular challenges for conventional air defence. They have a low signature, sometimes fly at very low altitudes and can be deployed in large numbers. There is also the issue of cost: using sophisticated air defence munitions against comparatively inexpensive aircraft is hardly economically sustainable in the long term.

As a result, the trend is towards multi-layered defence concepts. Radar, signals intelligence, optical sensors and other sensor technologies are used to detect, track and classify aerial objects. Depending on the threat and operational environment, electronic countermeasures, interceptor drones or kinetic systems can then be used to counter them. At the same time, drone systems are adapting to these countermeasures. The field is therefore characterised by a rapid interplay between new attack capabilities and corresponding defence methods.

Unmanned systems on the ground

Unmanned ground vehicles are also becoming increasingly important. Robotic platforms can perform reconnaissance and transport tasks, carry equipment into hazardous areas or relieve soldiers of logistical duties. One focus is on modular concepts. Different sensors and payloads can be deployed on a common vehicle platform, enabling it to be adapted more quickly to new tasks.

This is also changing the way military systems are developed. Instead of defining capabilities that remain largely unchanged over long periods, software, standardised interfaces and interchangeable modules are becoming increasingly important. New sensors or communication systems can thus be integrated more easily. Experience from current conflicts shows that technological adaptability has itself become an important military factor.

Connectivity under challenging conditions

Drones, ground vehicles, sensors and manned platforms deliver the greatest benefit when the information they collect is rapidly available. Networked command-and-control systems are therefore designed to combine data from different sources into the most up-to-date operational picture possible. Automated analysis and AI can help filter large volumes of information and highlight relevant events.

At the same time, this connectivity itself becomes a target. Electronic warfare can disrupt radio communications, navigation and data transmission. Modern systems must therefore remain operational even when communications are degraded. Secure data links, alternative transmission paths and the ability of individual components to operate as independently as possible are consequently among the key requirements.

Security Essen and EURO DEFENCE EXPO showcase two different aspects of this development in 2026. In civil security, the focus is on resilience, integrated protection concepts, secure identities and reducing the workload on personnel. In the military sector, drones, Counter-UAS, robotics and resilient connectivity are shaping developments. What both sectors have in common is that individual technical components are becoming increasingly interconnected. The decisive factor is no longer simply what a sensor, camera or mobile platform can achieve on its own, but the contribution it makes to a resilient overall system.