EUROGUARD is one of the European Defence Fund’s flagship maritime defence programmes, developing a modular and semi-autonomous surface vessel capable of supporting a wide range of naval and maritime security missions. The project strengthens Europe’s defence technological and industrial base by bringing together leading industrial companies, research organisations and defence stakeholders from ten European countries.
With a total budget of €95 million, including €65 million provided by the European Commission, EUROGUARD represents one of the largest collaborative maritime defence innovation initiatives in Europe.
The programme reinforces European industrial cooperation and enables new cross-border partnerships between industry and academia, supporting the development of advanced naval capabilities for future operational needs.
EUROGUARD brings together 28 organisations from 10 European countries to design, develop and validate a medium-sized semi-autonomous surface vessel. The consortium combines expertise in shipbuilding, autonomy, mission systems, sensing technologies, communications and defence research.
The project aims to strengthen Europe’s Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB) through coordinated development and close collaboration between industry, academia and defence stakeholders. Continuous engagement ensures that technological development remains aligned with real operational requirements.
Participating Member States include Estonia, Poland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, France, Denmark, Spain and Norway, contributing actively to workshops, technical exchanges and capability discussions. This engagement ensures strong alignment between system development and future operational naval needs across Europe.
Baltic Workboats plays a central role in EUROGUARD as consortium coordinator and prototype vessel builder. This responsibility reflects the company’s long-standing experience in designing and constructing advanced workboats and patrol vessels, positioning Baltic Workboats at the centre of one of Europe’s most ambitious maritime defence development programmes.
All major construction and integration activities for the prototype vessel are being carried out at Baltic Workboats’ shipyard in Nasva, Saaremaa, Estonia. The vessel will undergo testing and validation in close cooperation with the Estonian Navy.
The project is strongly supported by the Estonian Ministry of Defence and the Estonian Navy, ensuring that the platform is developed in line with operational requirements from the earliest design stages.
EUROGUARD is more than a research project. It is a full-scale development programme that includes the construction and testing of a 45-metre prototype vessel. The project follows a multi-year development cycle, from system architecture and design validation to production and operational testing, with completion planned by 2027.
The prototype is designed around a modular architecture that enables rapid reconfiguration for different operational tasks, improving flexibility, cost-efficiency and long-term adaptability.
At the core of EUROGUARD is a flexible modular design philosophy that enables rapid adaptation to different operational scenarios.
The vessel is being developed to accommodate interchangeable mission modules supporting a broad range of naval and maritime missions, including:
This modular approach gives European navies greater flexibility, cost-efficiency and long-term adaptability in a variety of maritime environments. The vessel is designed to operate in complex littoral conditions and respond to modern maritime security challenges.
The prototype integrates advanced technologies to support semi-autonomous and remotely controlled operations. Core capabilities include:
The system architecture is designed to ensure reliability, data integrity and scalable software deployment – all essential for unmanned and lean-manned maritime operations.
EUROGUARD also contributes to Europe’s sustainability goals by incorporating innovative propulsion and energy efficiency solutions. The vessel is designed to reduce environmental impact while maintaining high operational performance and mission capability.
EUROGUARD is not only developing a vessel, but also validating new operational concepts for the integration of autonomous and modular systems into future naval missions.
The programme contributes to Europe’s broader efforts to improve maritime security, protect critical infrastructure, strengthen naval readiness and enhance interoperability between European armed forces.
Through extensive testing, demonstrations and collaboration with defence stakeholders, EUROGUARD is helping shape the future of maritime operations in increasingly complex and contested environments.
EUROGUARD contributes to a more capable and resilient European defence ecosystem. By combining advanced technologies, industrial expertise and coordinated investment, the project supports the development of interoperable and cost-effective solutions for maritime security.
For Baltic Workboats, EUROGUARD represents both a major responsibility and a strategic opportunity to demonstrate leadership in advanced naval vessel development and contribute to the future of European maritime defence capabilities.
The EUROGUARD consortium comprises the following organisations:
The project kicked off in January 2024 in Estonia, see the press release here The EDF project EUROGUARD kick-off in Estonia – BWB
The prototype is to be completed by year 2027.
EDF Project BWB Two-Pager Feb2025 v3 web
