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Since 2025, MUSE Electronics has been leading the European Union-funded BATTLEPAD research project, which explores and develops new solutions for secure communications in military operations. In doing so, we are pooling the expertise of three highly specialized European companies.
A New Era of Digital Threats
Modern conflicts have long since moved beyond the battlefield. Cyberattacks have become an integral part of military operations, classified information is under constant attack—and the ability to respond quickly and securely in dynamic environments increasingly depends on the digital resilience of individual end devices.
This is precisely where BATTLEPAD comes in: an EDF (European Defence Fund) project co-financed by the European Union with a clear research and development focus. The goal is to research and implement new technologies for secure, robust, and seamless communication in military field operations—for command, control, and communication on the front lines.
MUSE Electronics as Consortium Leader
As the consortium leader of BATTLEPAD, MUSE Electronics is responsible for the coordination, strategic direction, and technological foundation of the project. With our product BACKBONE—the highly secure and ruggedized tablet platform we developed—we already provide the very physical and cryptographic architecture on which BATTLEPAD is built: an independent cyber-physical architecture developed and manufactured in Austria, featuring hardware security gateways, cryptographic authentication methods, and integrated device health monitoring.
Our role in the consortium is thus twofold: We drive the project forward organizationally as the lead partner and, at the same time, provide the technological backbone—in the truest sense of the word—on which BATTLEPAD’s capabilities are built.
Three Companies, One Common Goal
BATTLEPAD brings together three medium-sized technology companies from three EU member states—Austria, Slovenia, and Croatia:
MUSE Electronics GmbH (Vienna, Austria)—consortium leader and developer of BACKBONE. We contribute in-depth hardware expertise, system integration, and the physical technological foundation for BATTLEPAD.
Mil Sistemika d.o.o. (Slovenia) – a specialist in mission-critical software, data processing, and tactical communications. With years of experience in the military IT sector, Mil Sistemika ensures that BATTLEPAD functions intuitively, seamlessly, and with operational reliability.
ORQA d.o.o. (Croatia) – A global leader in FPV and remote vision technology. ORQA contributes expertise in image processing, real-time video, and user-centered interface design, thereby keeping military personnel better informed and connected.
Three companies, three countries, one shared vision: technologies that enable soldiers in the field to achieve true digital sovereignty and secure communications.
Why This Matters for Europe
BATTLEPAD is more than just a single product—it is a statement of European technological independence in the defence sector. Instead of relying on existing, often non-European platforms, we are working with our consortium partners to develop an independent solution that is entirely designed and manufactured in Europe.
As the consortium leader, we see it as our mission to capitalize on this momentum: to set new standards for secure communication in military operations and to demonstrate that European SMEs are capable of collaborating at the highest technological level—quickly, in a coordinated manner, and with a clear, shared goal.
Outlook
BATTLEPAD is still in an early project phase. In the coming months, as the consortium leader, we will report regularly on progress, milestones, and technological developments. One thing is already clear: With the combined expertise of MUSE Electronics, Mil Sistemika, and ORQA, BATTLEPAD has the potential to significantly advance the digital transformation of European armed forces.
Visit www.battlepad.io for more information.
Co-Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Defence Agency (EDA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
