In a groundbreaking live-fire test on July 2, 2025, defense companies KNDS Deutschland, Elbit Systems, and Kongsberg jointly demonstrated a new phase in European defense capability with the successful launch of a Naval Strike Missile (NSM) from the MARS 3 rocket artillery system in Norway. The launch—marking the first time an NSM was fired from a land-based multi-domain platform in Europe—signaled a significant technological milestone, underlining the strategic shift toward integrated, flexible, and mobile strike solutions across land, sea, and coastal theaters.
This test validates a vision long pursued by modern armed forces: the ability to strike maritime and land targets with the same mobile platform, maximizing operational reach and combat adaptability while minimizing logistical complexity.
Formerly known as EuroPULS, the MARS 3 (Mittleres Artillerieraketensystem 3) is the Europeanized version of the Israeli-developed Precise and Universal Launching System (PULS), a modular and versatile multiple-launch rocket system designed by Elbit Systems. Germany adopted the MARS 3 as the successor to its MARS II, the German adaptation of the M270 MLRS, signing a €55 million contract for five systems in February 2025.
Integrated onto an Iveco Trakker 8×8 wheeled chassis—though capable of being mounted on various platforms including Scania, Tatra, or tracked BAE Systems vehicles—the MARS 3 combines European interoperability with Israeli-proven technology. It supports rapid fire capability (12 rockets in 60 seconds), over 180° azimuth firing, and features a modular fire control system capable of adapting to various NATO and non-NATO munitions.
Yet the real innovation lies in MARS 3’s ability to incorporate next-generation effectors, especially those with naval strike capabilities, a domain historically separate from land-based artillery. The recent integration of the Naval Strike Missile into the system paves the way for a new kind of operational thinking—where artillery systems can now deter or engage surface combatants, support amphibious operations, and bolster coastal defense from deep inland.
The NSM, developed by Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace in collaboration with Raytheon, has seen increasing global adoption in recent years. Entering service in the early 2010s, it was designed to fill the gap left by aging anti-ship missiles such as the Harpoon, with added land-attack capability.
The missile is equipped with a 125 kg penetrating blast-fragmentation warhead, a booster stage, and a complex navigation suite that includes GPS-aided inertial guidance, TERCOM (Terrain Contour Matching), a laser altimeter, and an imaging infrared (IIR) seeker for terminal targeting. With its stealthy profile, Mach 0.93 cruise speed, and terrain-following capability, the NSM is built to evade radar and destroy heavily defended targets with precision.
Germany’s version—known as the Block 1A—extends the range past 300 km, greatly surpassing the original’s baseline of 185 km. It’s in use with the U.S. Navy as the RGM-184A and is core to the NMESIS (Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System), a land-based cruise missile program.
With its incorporation into MARS 3, the NSM is no longer confined to coastal or naval launchers but becomes part of a continent-wide deep-strike capability. This is a significant development for NATO countries facing threats not just on land but from littoral aggressors in areas such as the Baltic Sea, the Mediterranean, and the Black Sea.
The strength of the MARS 3 lies in its unprecedented flexibility. Its open architecture supports integration of munitions from multiple manufacturers—breaking away from traditional, single-supplier models that create dependency and raise lifecycle costs.
Among its arsenal:
- Accular 122 mm / 160 mm – Short-range precision rockets with ranges of 35–40 km.
- EXTRA – Extended-range artillery rocket (150 km).
- Predator Hawk – Heavy precision missile with a 300 km range.
- SkyStriker – Loitering munition (drone) for real-time surveillance and strike.
- AT2 – Anti-tank mine laying munition (150 km).
- JFSM – Future stealth missile with 499 km range, under development.
Training rockets (7–15 km) are also supported, reducing wear on high-value operational munitions.
This range of compatible weapons makes MARS 3 a logistical and tactical asset. It can switch roles rapidly—from deep precision strike to battlefield interdiction, coastal defense, or mine-laying—without platform modification.
The Joint Fire Support Missile (JFSM), developed by MBDA Germany, represents the next generation of precision-guided weapons expected to fully integrate with MARS 3. Weighing 300 kg and powered by a turbojet engine, the missile is slated for a 499 km range and incorporates advanced AI, image-based guidance, and terrain-following capabilities.
What makes JFSM unique is its modularity—not only in its payloads (from reconnaissance to electronic warfare) but also in its strategic philosophy. Inspired by the Future Combat Air System’s remote carrier concept, the JFSM is designed to work in swarms, offering coordinated, autonomous strike capabilities under networked battlefield conditions.
When integrated into MARS 3, the JFSM will enable Germany and allied countries to field a true long-range, survivable, and adaptable strike system capable of disrupting peer-level defenses well beyond the current operational horizon.
The significance of the MARS 3 + NSM pairing transcends technical capability—it marks an operational pivot in how Europe intends to fight future wars.
In Ukraine, mobile artillery systems like HIMARS and loitering munitions have proven game-changers. In the Red Sea, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have used land-based anti-ship missiles to challenge powerful naval forces. These examples highlight the value of mobile, hard-to-target platforms capable of delivering precision fire in contested environments.
The MARS 3 system is built around this same idea: mobility, survivability, and scalability.
Its use of the Iveco Trakker 8×8 platform—already fielded widely in Germany and across Europe—minimizes the need for new logistics tails. Its digital command architecture supports NATO integration, allowing it to plug into joint fire control systems. And its modular fire control system ensures it can incorporate future effectors without platform redesigns.
This makes MARS 3 especially relevant for NATO’s eastern flank, where Russian A2/AD (Anti-Access/Area Denial) systems are growing in range and sophistication. It also provides new options for Indo-Pacific nations facing maritime challenges from assertive neighbors.
The MARS 3 also addresses a less visible but equally critical concern: technological sovereignty.
By adopting an “ITAR-free” (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) fire control system, developed independently by KNDS Germany, European nations avoid U.S. export controls that could delay procurement, restrict export, or complicate multinational cooperation. This makes MARS 3 an attractive solution for European armed forces seeking to strengthen indigenous capabilities while retaining interoperability with NATO standards.
Furthermore, its manufacturer-agnostic architecture encourages innovation and competition across Europe’s defense sector, allowing munitions suppliers like MBDA, Diehl Defence, or Kongsberg to offer new solutions without bureaucratic hurdles.
The long-term roadmap for MARS 3 goes beyond a single launcher or missile. With plans to integrate Diehl’s RCM² air defense/strike munition, as well as loitering and anti-radiation weapons, the system is evolving into a node in a broader ecosystem of firepower.
This aligns with NATO’s shift toward multi-domain operations (MDO), where land, sea, air, cyber, and space assets coordinate to produce layered effects across the battlefield. MARS 3, with its ability to deliver precision fires across domains, is perfectly positioned to serve as both an enabler and a disruptor within this framework.
Additionally, discussions are underway for expanded exports to countries like Poland, the Netherlands, and the Baltics—regions acutely aware of the need for versatile, survivable deep-strike capabilities.
The successful test firing of the NSM from a MARS 3 launcher marks more than a technological milestone—it defines a new doctrine. In an era where threats are increasingly hybrid, multi-domain, and high-speed, Europe cannot afford static, one-dimensional weapons systems.
MARS 3 offers a blueprint for the future: mobile, interoperable, customizable, and capable of delivering effects across the full spectrum of modern conflict. With expanding support for next-gen munitions like JFSM and the incorporation of AI-powered navigation and fire control, it represents a bold step toward autonomous, resilient artillery forces.
