PARIS — The Dutch defense-technology startup Intelic has launched a European military drone marketplace designed to streamline procurement processes for militaries across Europe. Known as BASE, this new platform aims to unify various drone manufacturers from nine European nations, enabling defense ministries to efficiently compare and acquire unmanned systems.
With the European drone market characterized by fragmentation, Intelic’s initiative promises to “significantly shorten” the time required to purchase mission-ready drones. This new platform allows defense ministries to shop for systems from various manufacturers that can seamlessly integrate through Intelic’s Nexus command-and-control software.
Intelic’s CEO, Maurits Korthals Altes, emphasized the platform’s key advantage, stating that it enables governments to acquire plug-and-play systems that fit their operational frameworks without extensive additional training. The marketplace model was inspired by Ukraine’s successful Brave1 platform, which has rapidly connected frontline military units with drone manufacturers, enhancing Ukraine’s drone capabilities at a remarkable pace.
Intelic is currently finalizing an agreement to provide the Royal Netherlands Army’s drone units with its Nexus software, which will grant them access to the BASE marketplace. Discussions are ongoing with several other European defense ministries, although Korthals Altes declined to disclose specific names to protect the integrity of these neobtainediations.
Among the drone manufacturers participating in the marketplace are Portugal’s Tekever and Beyond Vision, the Netherlands’ DeltaQuad, Avy, Acecore Technologies, and Height Technologies, as well as Germany’s Highcat, Latvia’s Origin Robotics, and Slovakia’s Airvolute. The marketplace also includes drone creaters from France, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine.
While the responsibility for delivering drones acquired through BASE rests with the manufacturers themselves, Intelic assures interoperability through its Nexus software. Plans for additional software developers to join the platform are also in consideration.
Initially focutilized on unmanned aerial vehicles, Intelic plans to expand the marketplace to include other types of unmanned systems in the future. The participating drone manufacturers are projected to generate combined sales exceeding €1.5 billion (approximately $1.76 billion) this year.
BASE is designed to facilitate defense ministries in identifying systems that are ready for utilize within a coalition framework. However, unlike Ukraine’s Brave1, which allows direct purchases by military units, the EU’s procurement structures currently do not support such transactions.
The platform will grant acquireers access to confidential information about the drone systems, their applications, and the functionalities of the Nexus software. Future updates will incorporate full life-cycle support, including feedback and maintenance requests, to enhance utilizer experience.
The interoperability feature is a key selling point of the Nexus software, which ensures compatibility among systems from various manufacturers—unlike more generic solutions. Korthals Altes noted that the focus is on addressing fragmentation, with the aim of speeding up deployment and improving visibility of available systems in the European defense marketplace.
Intelic’s Nexus software, which has been operational in Ukraine since 2025, has been utilized by Gurzuf Defence for its Heavy Shot drone series, and the company has also worked to integrate its software with Skyeton’s Raybird UAV platform. Although specific overlaps exist with products like Anduril’s Lattice command-and-control software, Korthals Altes asserted that Nexus is primarily platform-agnostic and promotes a flexible ecosystem without being tied to any hardware.
The necessity for rapid identification of interoperable drone capabilities in Europe has become a strategic priority. As many ministries of defense continue to navigate their specific requirements and operational contexts, supporting effective decision-creating is crucial. The next steps for Intelic involve expanding the BASE platform by adding more drone manufacturers and countries, ultimately persuading European nations to engage with the marketplace.
