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Progress report 2025: EU's ambitions take shape through PESCO

Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO)

1 October 2025

From unmanned ground vehicles to maritime surveillance, integrated missile defence and cyber capabilities, the EU is focused on military readiness. Not to be overlooked amid the dynamism of new initiatives, Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) now encompasses 74 ongoing projects.  

The 2025 progress report highlights the momentum of 66 projects, nearly half of which have reached the execution phase. They are aimed at strengthening readiness, addressing capability gaps and enhancing the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB). The projects also underscore PESCO's contribution to EU defence strategies such as the European Council Conclusions and the Defence Readiness 2030 White Paper.

The European Defence Agency (EDA) forms part of the PESCO Secretariat, together with the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the European Union Military Staff, facilitating the implementation of projects.

This year's report evaluates the progress of PESCO projects in the first phase of the initiative from late 2017 to 2025. It also stresses that some projects may require greater effort to overcome obstacles or, where necessary, should be retired or transferred to a different framework.

Notable achievements include the Cyber and Information Domain Coordination Centre (CIDCC), which has reached Initial Operational Capability, laying the groundwork for EU-wide cyber defence cooperation. In parallel, the Common Hub for Governmental Imagery (CoHGI) is advancing towards a unified platform for secure imagery sharing, while the Network of Logistic Hubs (NetLogHubs) facilitates cross-border military transport through a network of logistics nodes across Europe.

Projects in the air and maritime domains are advancing technical components essential for future superiority. The Air Power and Essential Elements for European Escort (4E) projects continue to define the systems needed for integrated naval and air operations. On land, the Integrated Unmanned Ground Systems 2 (iUGS2) project is built upon earlier, successful, efforts to deliver unmanned ground support assets.

Soldier systems and medical facilities

As the EU and NATO focus on the return of high-intensity warfare, recent expansions within PESCO highlight commitment to strategic priorities. In November 2024, EU Ministers of Defence signed Letters of Intent in four key areas: integrated air and missile defence, electronic warfare, loitering munitions, and a new-generation combat surface vessel. Meanwhile, the sixth wave of PESCO projects, approved in May 2025, introduced 11 new projects spanning air and missile defence, EW doctrine, quantum technology, soldier systems and medical facilities.

Progress in critical capability areas is evident. In air and missile defence, the Integrated Multi-Layer Air and Missile Defence System (IMLAMD) and Timely Warning and Interception with Space-based TheatER surveillance (TWISTER) projects are developing concepts for layered missile defence, including space-based early warning and interceptor solutions. In munitions, the EU Beyond Line of Sight Land Battlefield Missile Systems (EU BLOS) and the Future Short-Range Air-to-Air Missile (FSRM) projects are aligning on needs and requirements.

Artillery remains the biggest factor on the battlefield, responsible for most of the damage in modern conflicts. To stay ahead, artillery capability improvements continue through the Counter Battery Sensors (CoBaS) project, which integrates target acquisition, command and control, and effectors for responsive counter-battery operations. Unmanned aerial platforms will be developed under the European MALE RPAS (Eurodrone) and Next Generation Small RPAS (NGSR) projects, while the Counter Unmanned Aerial System (C-UAS) focuses on modular detection and interception of small drones. Complementing these efforts, the Directed Energy Systems (DES) project seeks to develop directed-energy weapons for air defence.

Meanwhile, military mobility is being reinforced in the PESCO framework through projects designed to ensure rapid cross-border troop movements. Maritime security initiatives, like the Harbour and Maritime Surveillance and Protection (HARMSPRO) and Anti-Torpedo Torpedo (ATT) projects, include efforts to protect seabed infrastructure, standardise patrol and escort vessels, and introduce innovations such as semi-autonomous surface vehicles, anti-torpedo systems and modular underwater intervention packages.

New frontiers: 2026-2030

Despite PESCO's progress, the EU faces a hard truth: persistent shortfalls, many rooted in uneven commitments by Member States, can no longer be deferred. The next phase of Permanent Structured Cooperation, running from 2026 to 2030, will unfold in an EU increasingly defined by insecurity. New projects will be needed for the long term, reshaping Europe's defences rather than simply patching them up.

PESCO is positioned as one of the EU's strongest mechanisms for bridging capability gaps. The framework's value lies in its capacity to foster diverse, pan-European initiatives. From strategic enablers and force multipliers to advanced technologies such as quantum, PESCO is there to help develop military capabilities no single Member State can achieve alone.

As the 2025 progress report underlines, a significant share of ongoing projects already aligns with the EU's declared priorities, from airlift and mobility to cyber defence and maritime protection. In practice, this means PESCO can be a driver of Europe's rearmament, linking political ambition to tangible outcomes. The key question for the next five years is whether Member States will summon the will to work together to turn PESCO's promise into power.

For the full report please see here