Military Mobility: Technology for Agile and Secure European Defence

Military mobility has become a strategic pillar for security and defence in Europe. This concept refers to the ability of armed forces to move personnel, equipment, and resources quickly, efficiently, and safely, both within and beyond European territory.

In an increasingly complex geopolitical context, ensuring this mobility is essential for rapid crisis response and reinforcing operational readiness.

The European Union has identified military mobility as one of the key challenges for European Defence Readiness. The Military Mobility Package: New Regulation on Military Mobility and Joint Communication, issued by the European Commission, includes the so-called ‘military Schengen’, a solidarity fund, over 500 identified projects, and agile control and coordination mechanisms. So much so that the budget allocated to this area in the new Multiannual Financial Framework has increased tenfold.

The goal is clear: to ensure that military forces can move without obstacles, not only in peacetime but also in emergencies. This includes modernisation programmes for Spain’s dual-use rail network, with significant participation from Indra Group (digitalisation, signalling, communications, positioning), focusing on the Iberian Corridor.

However, this challenge is not without difficulties. Physical, legislative, technological, and bureaucratic barriers persist, slowing movements. Moreover, current infrastructure is not always prepared to support the transport of heavy military equipment, requiring investment and innovative solutions.

Additionally, the level of security and resilience required for transporting military assets in wartime far exceeds the needs of civilian transport in peacetime.

Beyond Transport: Security and Technological Sovereignty

Military mobility is not just about moving troops and equipment; it involves ensuring security against hybrid threats, reinforcing infrastructure cyber-resilience, and guaranteeing compatibility between vehicles, loads, and transport networks.

This must be accompanied by strengthening European technological sovereignty, avoiding external dependencies on critical technologies and ensuring strategic autonomy in developing and maintaining capabilities.

Automation is required to ensure flexible integration between military infrastructures, logistics bases, ports, borders, and rail infrastructure, and to guarantee agile end-to-end planning across EU countries, enabling comprehensive control of military asset movements with appropriate security levels.

Indra: A Unique Position in Europe

Indra is uniquely positioned to lead this challenge. It is the only European company with extensive capabilities in both the defence sector and rail and port logistics. This combination enables the delivery of sovereign technological solutions that integrate the best of both worlds: military and civilian technologies.

Our approach focuses on optimising military mobility through advanced systems incorporating artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digitalisation, advanced sensors, automation, and space technologies. These capabilities allow us to design next-generation solutions that meet current and future needs.

The recent creation of the IndraMind platform, bringing together cyber-resilience and artificial intelligence capabilities, gives us technological strengths that are a benchmark in Europe.

Key Technological Solutions

Our proposal is based on an open, digital, and cyber-secure signalling ecosystem by design, conceived to guarantee rail operations through hybrid signalling that leverages advanced communications and secure satellite positioning, reinforcing infrastructure protection against cyber threats.

This approach is complemented by cybersecurity and resilience systems designed to withstand attacks, incorporating high levels of protection in telecommunications and energy supply. Combining rail expertise with IndraMind’s capabilities enables particularly robust solutions.

In parallel, digitalisation and automation simplify bureaucratic processes through artificial intelligence, even facilitating cross-border movement of troops and equipment.

In this context, secure communications become essential, as dual-use rail corridors require military-grade capabilities. Reliable satellite platforms and an ERTMS system based on satellite technology are proposed to address hybrid threats effectively.

We also focus on infrastructure integration, connecting rail networks with military logistics centres through dual-control access points with high security levels, reinforcing strategic corridors for both civilian and military use.

Finally, special attention is given to protecting critical infrastructures in crisis situations, incorporating technologies such as long-range optronics and AI-based anti-drone systems to prevent sabotage and attacks.

Experience in Strategic Countries

Indra is already working in key countries for military mobility, such as Lithuania and Estonia, where we supply national rail traffic control and management systems. We offer cutting-edge technologies such as Open Digital Signalling and ERTMS Level 2, enabling innovative and secure solutions.

Military mobility demands cyber-resilience, protection against hybrid threats, automation, technological independence, and efficient integration between civilian and military transport.

Thanks to its unique position as a dual-sector company in Europe, Indra is ready to lead this challenge and ensure a more agile, secure, and technologically sovereign European defence.