Certifydoc on dual use civil-military mobility at Ferrmed annual conference

Context

Critical transportation infrastructures are inherently dual-use assets. In the event of conflict, it is not feasible to build separate roads, railways, or ports exclusively for Armed Forces. The extent of dual-use implementation, however, varies widely:

• from predominantly civilian use in stable peacetime conditions,

• to near-complete military control of infrastructure in frontline armed conflict.

In practice, hybrid civil–military arrangements are often the most efficient approach, as demonstrated in current conflicts, including the war in Ukraine.

Europe has entered a new security and logistics era. The “peace dividend” is over: where transport priorities once focused mainly on profit, they must now also respond to hybrid war conditions, climate action, sustainability, and strategic autonomy. This evolution takes place amid increasing pressure on multilateralism and a renewed risk of conventional conflict.

In this context, Military Mobility constitutes a key deterrence instrument. At the same time, effective mobility cannot depend on Armed Forces alone—particularly far from the front, where Member States are unlikely to accept a full military takeover of civil rail and road systems. For dual-use operations, civilian involvement is therefore essential and demonstrably more efficient.

On 13 December 2025, the Ferrmed Annual Conference in Brussels (BE) focused on its flagship study +FIRRST as a transportation revolution for Europe, the Stakeholder Alliance supporting it, and its strong relevance to the current dual-use civil–military mobility context.

Why +FIRRST fits dual-use mobility

Certifydoc presented a dual-use civil–military mobility data-space concept for +FIRRST, designed to enable:

• deterrence across peace, hybrid-war, and crisis scenarios;

• minimal disruption to civilian transport in rear and transit areas;

• actionable civilian participation in both peace and war.

On a political level

Strategic initiatives reinforce this direction, including: Military Mobility 2.0 Action Plan (2022), EU–NATO Joint Declaration (2023), Military Mobility Pledge (2024), and PESCO MilMob / Logistic Hubs (2022–2025).

In parallel, Europe is advancing digitally through projects such as SDMMS, digital Form 302 customs, EU rail capacity-management platforms, ERTMS cross-border traffic control, and reserved military paths via digital timetabling.

Policy update: a new €100bn dual-use push

Update (19–20 November 2025): the European Commission has presented a new Military Mobility Package to establish a “military Schengen” and remove cross-border bottlenecks by 2030. The Commission estimates that around €100 billion will be required to modernise roughly 500 critical infrastructure points for dual-use transport. This investment is foreseen through a combination of EU instruments and Member-State budgets over the coming decade, including a proposed ~€17.6–17.7 billion EU allocation in the 2028–2034 budget, complemented by national co-financing.

From policy to operational capability

+FIRRST aligns with TEN-T corridors and combines:

• Digital capabilities: real-time operations, AI-supported timetabling, stop-on-request functions, and federated secure data exchange aligned with SDMMS/NATO;

• Physical capabilities: 740-m trains, 22.5-t/axle, 1,435-mm gauge, pass-through terminals, and ERTMS corridors.

The result is a system enabling faster and more resilient convoys while ensuring minimal disruption to civilian traffic.

Conclusion

Military Mobility is no longer solely a matter of technical optimisation; it is a core component of European deterrence and readiness. The Commission’s new package and funding ambition confirm a sustained EU commitment to dual-use infrastructure, regulatory acceleration, and secure digital coordination. Within this framework, Ferrmed’s +FIRRST concept represents a natural operational fit, connecting EU/NATO corridors with the digital and physical standards required for rapid, resilient, and civilian-compatible mobility across peacetime and crisis scenarios.