Eurosatory 2026: European cooperation drives TRACKX programme towards production

European efforts to strengthen defence-industrial cooperation received a boost at Eurosatory 2026 with the signing of an implementation agreement for the Common Arctic Mobility (CAM) programme.

The agreement, signed at the event in Paris by Lt Gen Jari Mikkonen, chief of staff for armament and logistics of the Finnish Defence Forces, and Brig Gen Jonas Lotsne, director of the land systems department at the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV), enables further technology cooperation on the pre-series development of the TRACKX all-terrain vehicle (ATV).

Developed by Patria as part of the earlier FAMOUS (European Future Highly Mobile Augmented Armoured Systems) initiative but subsequently renamed TRACKX, the programme is backed by the European Defence Fund (EDF) and has involved around 20 countries and more than 50 defence companies in a major European collaborative land systems project.

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The programme reflects a broader shift across Europe towards collaborative capability development as governments seek to accelerate procurement, strengthen sovereign industrial capacity and reduce dependence on non-European supply chains.

TRACKX evolved from the FAMOUS concept demonstrator first unveiled at Eurosatory and has since progressed through a series of technology test-bed vehicles. These have undergone trials in a range of operating environments, including snow, sand, forests, swamps and paved surfaces, leading to the development of additional prototype vehicles incorporating lessons learned from earlier testing.

The project received further momentum in April when the EDF approved funding for the third phase of development.

According to programme information released at Eurosatory, the initiative has received €79 million in EDF funding as part of a wider €115 million programme. Participating countries and industry partners have contributed a further €20 million.

With its wide composite rubber tracks the TRACKX has a very high level of mobility, especially in marginal terrain and its design is such that it can be used for a wide range of battlefield missions, including as an armoured personnel carrier (APC), and can accommodate a wide range of weapons such as remote weapon stations (RWS), and turrets armed with machine guns (MG) and cannon.

At Eurosatory, the vehicle was displayed with Patria’s 120mm NEMO mortar turret, demonstrating one potential operational configuration.

Adapting for the modern battlefield

The programme is also evolving to address growing interest in uncrewed and optionally crewed land systems. At Eurosatory, Patria and German drive train specialist RENK unveiled a next-generation heavy uncrewed ground vehicle (UGV) concept based on the TRACKX platform.

The demonstrator combines the TRACKX vehicle with RENK’s HSWL 076 transmission and drive-by-wire architecture, highlighting how technologies developed under collaborative European programmes could support future autonomous and remotely operated capabilities.

The companies said recent conflicts, particularly the war in Ukraine, have reinforced the importance of reducing crew exposure while maintaining mobility, protection and mission effectiveness.

The programme is also intended to address future mobility requirements in northern and Arctic environments, where tracked vehicles retain significant advantages over wheeled platforms because of their lower ground pressure and improved performance in difficult terrain.

While many European armies continue to modernise their fleets of 6x6 and 8x8 armoured vehicles, TRACKX highlights continuing demand for specialised tracked platforms capable of operating in extreme conditions.

According to Patria, serial production is scheduled to begin in 2027, with additional countries able to join the programme as development progresses.

As European governments continue to increase defence spending and place greater emphasis on industrial resilience, programmes such as CAM are becoming an increasingly important example of how multinational funding, shared research and collaborative procurement  can accelerate capability development while supporting broader European efforts to strengthen defence capability and industrial resilience.

The addition of uncrewed and autonomous concepts to the TRACKX programme also illustrates how European industry is seeking to balance immediate capability requirements with longer-term investments in future battlefield technologies.

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