ACHILE: Lightweight Exoskeletons and Open Systems to Reinforce European Defence

Diseñado por Freepik.

In a context marked by geopolitical uncertainty and rapid technological evolution, the European Union has resolved to mobilise up to €800 billion over the next four years to bolster its collective security. This commitment, together with the ‘Rearm Europe / Readiness 2030’ Plan and the newly unveiled White Paper on the European Defence Industry, places research and innovation at the very heart of the European agenda.

Among the flagship initiatives bringing this strategic vision to life is ACHILE (Augmented Capability for HIgh-end soLdiErs), a project under the European Defence Fund (EDF) designed to modernise the soldier system through an open architecture and dual-use technologies such as exoskeletons.

What exactly is ACHILE?

• Full Title: Augmented Capability for HIgh-end soLdiErs

• Programme: EDF-2021

• Timeline and Budget: 2023–2027 | €45 million (€40 million funded by the EU)

• Consortium: 30 entities across 11 countries, including Safran (coordinator), Rheinmetall (technical lead), GMV, Indra, and Gogoa.

ACHILE’s mission is to design and demonstrate the next generation of dismounted soldier systems, based on the GOSSRA open architecture and integrating sensors, secure communications, and physical augmentation devices such as lightweight exoskeletons.

What is ACHILE aiming to achieve?

• Open architecture and common standards: ensuring interoperability across European armed forces and reducing dependence on proprietary systems.

• Enhanced physical and cognitive capacity: via lightweight exoskeletons, wearable sensors, and secure communications that reduce fatigue, improve postural stability, and increase situational awareness.

• Transfer to the civilian domain: the same mobility-assistance technologies developed under ACHILE are applicable to neurological rehabilitation, industrial ergonomics, and injury prevention—fields in which Gogoaalready has significant experience.

  
  

Project Phase: From Design Review to Prototype

On 25 February 2025, ACHILE successfully completed its Critical Design Review (CDR) in Erding, Germany, concluding the first two years of system engineering and validation. The next phases are as follows:

• Prototyping and technical trials (2025–2026): integration of mobility, energy, and communications modules into a fully operational exoskeleton.

• Operational demonstrations (2027): field testing in representative environments alongside multiple European armed forces.

  
  

The Role of Gogoa Mobility Robots

As leader of Task T6.6: Physical Augmentation, Gogoa brings its expertise in biomechanics, soft actuators, and motion control to the project. Our aim is to deliver a military-grade exoskeleton that inherits the clinical safety and ergonomic excellence of our medical-grade systems, maintaining a philosophy of "technology that cares for people"—both on and off the battlefield.

Why it Matters in Uncertain Times

Challenge	ACHILE's Contribution	Dual Benefit
Fragmented capabilities	Open architecture with interoperable modules	Maximises public investment and accelerates innovation
Physical strain on personnel	Exoskeleton reduces load and fatigue	Enhances musculoskeletal health for soldiers and civilians
Hybrid and fast-evolving threats	Integrated sensors and secure communications	Strengthens operational resilience and telemedicine

This approach not only maximises the return on defence investment, but also creates powerful spillover effects for the healthcare sector, aligning with the EU’s vision of strategic autonomy and social wellbeing.

Looking Ahead

With the prototyping phase now underway, 2025 is expected to mark the beginning of live field trials for the ACHILE exoskeleton. For Gogoa, this presents an opportunity to:

• Validate new technologies that will later be adapted for rehabilitation and industrial ergonomics.

• Create highly skilled employment in fields such as robotics and data science.

• Strengthen European supply chains with certified dual-use components.

  
  

At a time when defence investment is rising—yet societies demand ethical and efficient solutions—ACHILE exemplifies how public-private collaboration can translate innovation into protection, performance, and public health.

At Gogoa, we remain committed to sharing our progress and, above all, to ensuring that assisted mobility continues to enhance quality of life—whatever the setting.

ACHILE – EXOSKELETONS – EUROPEAN DEFENCE