Deployment Phase of Europe’s MARSUR III Maritime Surveillance Network Commences

The Maritime Surveillance Network III (MARSUR III) has entered its deployment phase following the approval of the User Acceptance Test (UAT) results by 16 contributing Member States.

The approval was granted during the last Project Arrangement Board meeting hosted by the European Defence Agency (EDA). The 16 countries are Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Spain, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden.

The UAT, hosted by the European Union Satellite Centre (SatCen) on 4 June 2024, was a crucial step in the development of MARSUR III. It involved testing the network and its software in real-world conditions by intended users. The test environment included three real nodes with synchronized software operating on national servers located in SatCen, Italy, and Cyprus, all connected via the MARSUR network.

Members of the MARSUR Technical Arrangement Board from the 16 contributing Member States and representatives from 21 European navies observed the successful completion of the UAT both in person and via video teleconference. All tests outlined in the approved User Acceptance Test Plan & Use Case Scenarios were executed correctly, demonstrating the network's robustness and resilience.

This milestone is part of a long history that began in 2005 when EDA defense ministers tasked the agency with creating a maritime network using existing naval and maritime information-sharing systems in the EU. Following the MARSUR I and II projects, the MARSUR III project was launched in December 2020 and is scheduled to run until 2026. This project aims to address obsolescence and technical issues found in previous iterations.

With the deployment phase now underway, the 16 contributing Member States have an effective system for developing European Maritime Situational Awareness. This phase is expected to boost the network's use, making it a preferred tool for maritime commanders in the near term.

In August 2019, an updated version of the MARSUR Exchange System was agreed upon, replacing the previous system. The ongoing MARSUR III project involves next-generation technology development to enhance capabilities and performance. Additionally, a classified layer at the EU RESTRICTED level is being developed, with potential future upgrades to EU SECRET based on budget, operational needs, and limitations.