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Europe arms Type X robotic vehicle with Akeron LP missile for autonomous beyond line of sight strikes.


On July 1, 2025, Milrem Robotics announced the successful testing and integration of the MBDA Akeron LP long-range guided missile system onto its Type-X Robotic Combat Vehicle as part of the European Defence Fund (EDF)-backed Modular Architecture Solution for EU States (MARSEUS) project. The demonstration also involved the operational deployment of the RFHunter Direction Finder developed by Cyprus-based SignalGeneriX, which was installed on MBDA’s BLOS-capable Akeron turret.
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The integrated configuration of Type-X, Akeron LP, and RFHunter offers a new unmanned ground capability combining stand-off precision strike, electromagnetic awareness, and platform survivability. (Picture source: X/Tasos Kounoudes)


The system, mounted on the Estonian-built Type-X unmanned ground platform, was shown engaging targets beyond visual range under the MARSEUS framework. The announcement, made via Milrem’s official channels and echoed by SignalGeneriX founder Tasos Kounoudes, described the system’s role in providing electromagnetic situational awareness through passive detection of hostile signals. This milestone, recorded on video and distributed publicly, was achieved in cooperation with the Ministries of Defence of France, Sweden, Belgium, and Cyprus and forms part of a broader effort to integrate European-controlled BLOS missile systems with unmanned and manned platforms under EU design authority.

The Modular Architecture Solution for EU States (MARSEUS) program is a 36-month EDF-funded effort launched in December 2022 and scheduled to conclude in November 2025. Coordinated by MBDA France, it involves 15 companies and institutions from Belgium, France, Sweden, and Cyprus, including John Cockerill Defense, Arquus, FN Herstal, Novadem, Bull SAS, Exensor, BAE Systems Hägglunds, SAAB Dynamics, Xenics NV, the Royal Military Academy of Belgium, SignalGeneriX, Additess, and Delair. The total cost of the project is estimated at €27,299,030.23, with €25,000,000 contributed by the European Defence Fund. The program builds directly on the EDIDP 2019 LynkEUs project, continuing work on collaborative BLOS strike capabilities across platforms. Activities in MARSEUS include studies, design work, prototyping, and testing of modular architectures intended to enhance existing missile systems through cooperative engagement and extended-range capabilities. The goal is to deliver systems with shared architecture enabling integration with multiple vehicle types, both unmanned and manned, and optimized for interoperability, scalability, and adaptation across different operational contexts. France, Belgium, and Cyprus signed the initial letter of intent in 2019, and Sweden joined the project through a memorandum of understanding in 2023.

Within the MARSEUS framework, several platforms are involved, including robotic systems like the Type-X and manned vehicles such as the Arquus Sherpa. MBDA has used its Akeron missile family as the main effectors in the project, with live-fire tests involving the IMPACT turret integrated on ground vehicles and targeting coordinated by unmanned drones such as Novadem’s NX70. Demonstrations began in 2022 and are expected to continue through 2025, with additional phases focusing on human-in-the-loop and human-on-the-loop engagement modes. The program also includes the development of experimental systems like loitering munitions, as well as joint training modules and the establishment of a “users’ club” to support a unified European doctrine for BLOS systems. The architecture is designed to provide European strategic autonomy by avoiding external restrictions and supply chain dependencies. According to official communications, MARSEUS will contribute to the EU’s Ground Combat Capabilities priority area under the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD) and provide harmonized technical specifications and operational concepts for land-based precision strike systems.

EU BLOS (Beyond Line of Sight) refers to a PESCO project launched in November 2018 that focuses on the development of European-controlled medium-range land battlefield missile systems. Its objective is to produce a family of mounted and dismounted BLOS missile capabilities managed entirely by EU member states and operating without non-EU constraints. BLOS systems enable targeting and engagement of objectives beyond the visual and sensor range of the launching platform by using third-party designation from UAVs, reconnaissance assets, or fixed sensors. Key components of the concept include secure data links, autonomous or semi-autonomous guidance, and the use of AI-driven targeting algorithms combined with operator oversight. A distinction is made between human-in-the-loop systems, which require direct operator command for target engagement, and human-on-the-loop systems, which operate autonomously with real-time supervisory override. The original LynkEUs project under EDIDP laid the technical foundation with simulator-based target identification, UAV coordination, and turret-integrated demonstrations held in Cyprus. It provided verified live-fire evidence of the missile’s effectiveness under realistic battlefield scenarios. MARSEUS now continues and expands these capabilities into a standardized interoperable framework meant to serve future EU armed forces.

The Type-X Robotic Combat Vehicle from Milrem Robotics is a tracked, hybrid-electric unmanned ground system developed for use in mechanized formations as a complement to infantry fighting vehicles and main battle tanks. It has a baseline weight of 12.5 tons and can carry up to 5 tons of payload. The vehicle measures 6.2 meters in length, 2.9 meters in width, and 2.5 meters in height. It reaches speeds of 80 km/h on paved surfaces and 50 km/h off-road and is capable of traversing slopes of up to 60%, climbing vertical obstacles up to 1 meter in height, and fording to depths of 1.5 meters. Its turning radius is zero due to its tracked cross-drive transmission. The platform meets STANAG 4569 Level 4 protection against kinetic threats and Level 1 for mines. Designed to be remotely operated or semi-autonomous, the Type-X can be fitted with different payloads, including loitering munitions, remote weapon stations, and anti-tank missile turrets. The vehicle is optimized for flanking maneuvers and high-risk missions, allowing manned elements to maintain a standoff distance. It is intended to act as a sensor-shooter node in combined arms operations and can interface with networked command systems and targeting infrastructure.

The Akeron LP (Longue Portée) missile, developed by MBDA France, is a fifth-generation long-range multi-role guided munition designed for use on helicopters, MALE UAVs, naval platforms, and land combat vehicles. It weighs between 30 and 40 kilograms, is 1.8 meters long, and uses a tandem-charge multipurpose warhead capable of penetrating more than 1,000 mm of rolled homogeneous armor and over 2 meters of reinforced concrete. It is equipped with a multimode seeker that combines semi-active laser guidance, TV imaging, and uncooled infrared sensing. It supports multiple firing modes, including fire-and-forget, LOBL (lock-on before launch), and LOAL (lock-on after launch), with operator-enabled retargeting and mission abort capabilities. The missile uses a bidirectional RF datalink to maintain communication with the launching platform throughout the flight, enabling target updates and oversight. Its range exceeds 8 km when fired from ground vehicles and can reach 20 km from aerial platforms. Trajectory profiles can be selected before launch, including flat, lofted, or top-attack flight paths. The system is integrated with standard 14-inch lug and MIL-STD-1760 interfaces, allowing for compatibility with various platforms. In recent firings conducted in 2025, the missile has been tested from ground and helicopter platforms, with RFHunter-enabled sensor suites providing targeting data in contested environments.

The integrated configuration of Type-X, Akeron LP, and RFHunter offers a new unmanned ground capability combining stand-off precision strike, electromagnetic awareness, and platform survivability. The RFHunter system, previously shown at the DEFEA 2025 exhibition in Athens, is a passive electronic warfare solution developed by SignalGeneriX to detect, locate, and classify communication signals in real time. When integrated into the BLOS-capable turret on the Type-X, it enables the platform to receive, process, and react to electromagnetic threats without emitting detectable signals itself. This allows the vehicle to operate in GPS-denied or contested electromagnetic environments with improved survivability and targeting accuracy. The system supports cooperative targeting through third-party designation or autonomous detection of hostile emitters. Its passive mode also reduces the risk of detection, supporting operations where electronic signature control is a priority. The combined platform contributes to EU defense objectives by reducing reliance on non-European suppliers, enhancing interoperability among member states, and allowing European forces to deploy sovereign BLOS capabilities with full operational control. The solution is positioned to support a range of tactical roles, including reconnaissance, overwatch, flanking support, and precision fires in both urban and open terrain.


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