Deadline: 29-Sep-2026
The European Commission is advancing efforts to streamline the movement of armed forces across member states and EDF associated countries by digitalising military mobility procedures to ensure rapid and efficient deployments.
The initiative focuses on reducing administrative barriers that hinder military mobility, developing a resilient digital system capable of operating under adverse conditions when not all system nodes are available, implementing advanced encryption methods to secure the urgent exchange of sensitive information, embedding tracking and monitoring capabilities, improving resilience and continuous operations during crises and wartime, further digitalising military customs formalities, and fostering EU-NATO cooperation through modernised interactions between military and customs authorities.
In response to the rapidly deteriorating security environment in Europe, particularly following large-scale aggression against Ukraine, the secure digital military mobility system (SDMMS) seeks to build upon previous prototypes developed for peacetime movement preparation. The current phase aims to deliver a fully realised system with additional capabilities, ensuring that armed forces can respond quickly and effectively to crises at the EU’s external borders and beyond.
The SDMMS prototype will incorporate advanced technologies including post-quantum cryptography, resilient system architectures capable of operating even when some nodes are offline, and comprehensive tracking and monitoring functionalities covering military movements from departure to destination states. Furthermore, it will digitalise and streamline military customs procedures, particularly through the modernisation of Form 302 processing, aligning with the broader European action plan on military mobility and supporting closer EU-NATO coordination.
This initiative is part of the broader STEP objectives under the STEP Regulation in the target investment area of defence technologies, covering studies, design, prototyping, testing, qualification, certification, and other relevant development activities. The total funding allocated to the programme is EUR 422 million, with an indicative budget of EUR 9 million under the EDF-2026-DA call for this specific topic, funded by the European Commission.
For more information, visit EC.
