EDA Conducts Arctic Trials of Unmanned Ground Vehicles Under CUGS Project
The European Defence Agency has completed a 10-day Arctic trial of unmanned ground vehicles in Norway under its Combat Unmanned Ground Systems project. The tests focused on autonomous and remotely operated platforms operating in snow-covered terrain and degraded connectivity conditions.
The European Defence Agency (EDA) has concluded a winter field trial of unmanned ground vehicles in eastern Norway as part of its Combat Unmanned Ground Systems (CUGS) research initiative. The activity took place in early February near the village of Rena and lasted 10 days, exposing platforms and subsystems to sustained sub-zero temperatures and snow-covered terrain.
According to the agency, the demonstration progressed to a full operational phase involving a realistic scenario. Both autonomous and remotely operated vehicles were tested, including operations under limited connectivity conditions. The trials were designed to assess performance, endurance, and system integration in Arctic environments.
CUGS is described by the agency as its largest research and technology project in the land domain. Rather than focusing on the development of a single unmanned platform, the program is structured around modularity and interoperability. Medium- and heavy-class vehicles are integrated with configurable building blocks covering navigation, command and control, communications, and sensor management. The approach aims to enable scalable solutions adaptable to varying operational requirements and national force structures.
Eight EU member states participate in the project alongside Norway. Italy serves as the lead nation, with Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Finland, France, Netherlands, and Poland also contributing.
The industrial consortium is coordinated by Leonardo and includes more than 25 European defense companies and research institutions. The project reflects ongoing EU efforts to strengthen collaborative defense research and enhance interoperability across member states’ land forces.
A final demonstration is planned in Italy in September 2026. That phase will shift the focus from cold-weather resilience to broader deployment scenarios, further validating the modular architecture and cross-border integration model underpinning the CUGS framework.
