EDA News

After the opening by the Head of Agency and keynote speeches by European Commission Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier and the Chairman of the EU Military Committee, General Claudio Graziano, attendees of EDA’s 2019 Annual Conference witnessed a lively and inspiring high-level strategic debate on the future of European defence featuring three Defence Ministers: François Bausch of Luxembourg, João Gomes Cravinho of Portugal, and Thomas Starlinger of Austria.

Moderated by EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq, the debate showed a common understanding on the fact that all EU Member States' armed forces have a lot to gain from enhanced defence cooperation and a more coherent and integrated capability planning and development framework in Europe, both in terms of efficiency (cost savings) and interoperability. "We lack efficiency and could be much more effective and save money if we worked closer together", said Minister Bausch.

All the required tools for moving into that direction are now in place with the revised Capability Development Plan (CDP), the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD), the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) and the European Defence Fund (EDF), "but the crucial task laying ahead of us now is to create a smooth and efficient workflow among them", including with the European Commission's new DG on Defence Industry & Space, "and to implement and use them in the right way", said Minister Starlinger. Three aspects are particularly important in this respect, the Austrian Defence Minister added: first, that Member States remain in the driving seat when it comes to prioritisation of the defence capabilities needed; second, that we don't reinvent the wheel and, instead, use the tools, processes and assets we have already in place; and third, that we ensure there is coherence among the various EU defence initiatives and the actors driving them.

Portuguese Minister Gomes Cravinho thought that the successful setting up of CARD, PESCO and the EDF showed that the EU was "on the right track" at a technical level.On the political level, however, more needs to be done to move towards a more common defence policy in Europe, he stressed. The need for progress on the political level, especially with a view to shaping a common defence policy, was highlighted by all participants. Things are moving into the right direction with the new EU tools which show that, in the capability domain, "we are going from a national, industrial driven process to a multilateral, European approach", said Minister Starlinger.

The three Ministers also agreed that EU defence cooperation was in no way directed against NATO,"which will remain the cornerstone of our collective defence" as Minister Bausch put it, but that, on the contrary, a stronger European defence will also strengthen NATO. "NATO's efficiency will also rely on how successfully EU countries can strengthen their respective defences", said the Luxembourg Minister.

Asked what the most urgent next steps would be in order to move the Europe of Defence forward, the three Ministers agreed once more: it is the need to develop a common defence policy in Europe which goes beyond purely national interests, "because no country alone can face the new challenges ahead of us". 
 

More information:

• Welcome speech by EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq
• Speech by Michel Barnier (European Commission Chief Negotiator)
• Speech by General Claudio Graziano, Chairman of EU Military Committee

The European Defence Agency’s Annual Conference 2019 entitled 'Taking European Defence Cooperation to the Next Level - Prospects for the decade ahead’ was opened this morning in Brussels with a message from the outgoing Head of the Agency, Federica Mogherini.

Addressing a 400-strong audience representing the whole European defence spectrum - governments, armed forces, industry, EU institutions, NATO, think tanks and media - Ms Mogherini said she had been honored to lead EDA over the past five years. She recalled the first steps and the "shared goal"  set at the time, namely to make European cooperation the norm – not the exception – on defence matters. "And we took the commitment to stubbornly work on this path", she said in her message to the audience. 
 

Federica Mogherini: "European defence cooperation has expanded like never before"

Devoting this year's Annual Conference to taking stock of what has been achieved since then, especially with the new EU defence initiatives - revised Capability Development Plan (CDP), Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD), Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), European Defence Fund (EDF) - proved a good choice because during that short timeframe, "European defence cooperation has expanded like never before”, Ms Mogherini said.  "Five years ago, no one imagined how far we would have come. But we made it (...) And the Agency has been at the core of our work and of all the progress we have achieved together". Importantly, all this impressive work has been done while strengthening cooperation with NATO, "because a stronger European Union makes NATO stronger", Ms Mogherini said.

EDA made "essential contributions to crafting these initiatives all along the way, and now plays a central role in their implementation", the Head of the Agency stressed. "The Agency is the secretariat for both CARD and PESCO, together with the European External Action Service and the EU Military Staff. It is also a central operator for EU-funded defence activities. The Agency is today in a unique position to contribute to coherence among the various initiatives, efficiency and a steady focus on our capability priorities". She also insisted on the importance of ensuring a good and efficient cooperation between the EU institutions and bodies involved (EDA, EEAS, Commission, Council) but also with the Member Stares. "This will be even more crucial in the years ahead, to make the most of all the tools we have set up together", Ms Mogherini concluded.
 

Michel Barnier: "We want the UK to be our closest an most strategic partner in security and defence"

Ms Mogherini’s intervention was followed by a keynote speech delivered by Michel Barnier, the European Commission’s Chief Negotiator, Head of the Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom and former chair of the 2002 European Convention’s Working Group on Defence which laid the foundation for the creation of EDA. Brexit is an immense challenge and will have consequences, sometimes underestimated ones, on our citizens and businesses, including our defence industries, Mr Barnier said. This has to be dealt with in an "international context which is more challenging than ever with instability becoming the new norm", he stated. Against that backdrop, "Europe must be the shaper of a better global order", and in order to do that, "Europe must upgrade its cooperation if it wants to uphold its values". The UK must be integral part of this endeavor because even if it leaves the European Union, it will not leave Europe, Mr Barnier said.Therefore, the EU wants the "closest possible partnership" with the United Kingdom, also in foreign and security policy, including to build cutting-edge defence capabilities and interoperability among our Armed Forces. "Cooperation is Europe's DNA. Therefore, we want the UK to be our closest and most strategic partner", as a member of NATO and as a member of our "European family of Security and Defence" , stated Mr Barnier.
 

Jorge Domecq: “We need a complete change of mindset” 

Previously, in his welcome speech, EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq had recalled the huge progress EU defence cooperation has made over the past three years, as well as the role EDA plays in the implementation of all new EU defence tools. “Even though much has been achieved over the last years, even more needs to be done. If we want EU defence initiatives to lead towards a more coherent and integrated European defence landscape with a more capable, deployable, interoperable and sustainable set of military capabilities and forces that are able to deliver on these strategic priorities, we need sustained efforts and unfaltering political commitment”, he said. 

A key factor for success of the new EU defence initiatives’ success will be the extent to which Member States will actually use and embed the new cooperation tools into their national defence planning processes, Mr Domecq stressed. “This is certainly not an easy task. In my discussions in capitals I have seen that embedding the EU defence initiatives into national processes not only puts a burden on financial and human resources but it also requires a complete change of mindset, sometimes even a change of culture”.
 

More information:

• Welcome speech by EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq
• Speech by Michel Barnier (European Commission Chief Negotiator)
• Speech by General Claudio Graziano, Chairman of EU Military Committee
• Speech by NATO ASG Camille Grand

EDA today launched its new ‘B2B Platform’, an online tool which aims to facilitate cross-border partnerships between European defence industry stakeholders by allowing them to quickly and easily search for potential partners for defence-related projects and programmes. The platform responds to a demand by industry for improved networking possibilities as a result of the new EU defence initiatives which also impact and benefit the wider European defence-related industry. 

The platform is in line with one of EDA’s core missions, namely to help strengthening the European defence industry and increase industry engagement in defence. It enables all registered stakeholders to post their specific and customised demands for partners, and also to reply to such requests. As the public search for partners can be commercially sensitive, the platform also offers the possibility to publish anonymous requests. 

All information submitted throughout the application process will be notified only to the project owner who published the related request for partners as well as to EDA’s administrator. From there, interested parties can get in touch directly and discuss the way ahead. EDA’s service is limited to offering access to the platform without implication in the subsequent discussions and setting up  of the partnerships.
 

How to get active

Interested entities can quickly and easily register HERE (via Chrome, Safari, Edge, Firefox). The user-friendly platform is also accessible under the Industry Info portal on the EDA’s website. The whole process of registration, publishing requests for partners or replies to these requests takes only a few minutes. 

More practical information on how to use the platform can be found on this new EDA factsheet explaining the B2B Platform.

 

Today, the OCEAN2020 project, managed by a 42 partner consortium from 15 EU countries, has successfully launched its first sea demonstration in the Gulf of Taranto, Italy. The OCEAN2020 Live Sea Demonstration involves a total of 9 unmanned assets and six naval units from Italy, Spain, Greece and France. The deployment of manned and unmanned systems, when integrated with satellite and communication networks, aims to enhance overall maritime situational awareness and build a comprehensive picture of developing situations for military decision-makers.  

Pierre Delsaux, Deputy Director General, DG GROW - European Commission, said, “Today Ocean 2020 is demonstrating its technical achievements, but also that joint research and development at the EU level works. With the preparatory action on defence research we started small. But it helped us to gain valuable experience for the fully-fledged European Defence Fund in place in 2021 to further strengthen the competitiveness of our defence industries.” 

Led by Leonardo, the OCEAN2020 (Open Cooperation for European mAritime awareNess) maritime initiative brings together technical specialists in the maritime domain covering the observing, orienting, deciding and acting operational tasks. In the Mediterranean Sea Demonstration, OCEAN2020 brings together data and information from a variety of sources; 9 unmanned assets – four aircraft, three surface and two underwater, six naval units, five satellites for communication and surveillance, four National Maritime Operations Centres (MOC), two ground communication networks and a prototype of a European Maritime Operations Centre (EU MOC) to build a comprehensive maritime picture.

The two-day live demonstration is the latest phase in the ambitious project which aims to demonstrate enhanced situational awareness in a maritime environment through the integration of legacy and new technologies for unmanned systems.  OCEAN2020 aims to achieve operational and technical objectives, these range from enhanced situational awareness, autonomy, cost effectiveness and increased interoperability for joint missions also using protocols compatible with NATO standards. The variety of assets involved in OCEAN2020 highlights how collaborative autonomy between multi-domain unmanned vehicles can provide a force multiplier.

Giovanni Soccodato, Chief Strategic Equity Officer at Leonardo, speaking on behalf of OCEAN2020 Consortium, said: “OCEAN2020 is an incredibly ambitious project. To deliver it, we are bringing together a pan-European team of experts, each of which is contributing its own area of world-class capabilities. Operationally, this project is important demonstrating the possibility to enhance maritime surveillance – of vital interest to European defence – integrating unmanned platforms with traditional systems. More broadly, OCEAN2020 demonstrates the potential and the true spirit of  European collaboration in the defence sector, having enabled a real partnership of large and small industry, academia and defence ministries from across the continent.”
 

Jorge Domecq (EDA Chief Executive), Pierre Delsaux (Deputy Director General, DG GROW), Giovanni Soccodato (Chief Strategic Equity Officer at Leonardo)

 
From sea to EDA: EU MOC prototype in Brussels

To highlight the capability of OCEAN2020 to a wider audience, a prototype of an EU MOC was installed at EDA in Brussels. Today, a demonstration took place offering an opportunity for OCEAN2020 consortium members, project stakeholders and members of the press to discuss the impact of the project and follow the exercise taking place in Italy live via the EU MOC.

Jorge Domecq, EDA Chief Executive, said, “Today’s demonstration is proof of the added-value of EU supported defence research. In deploying 9 unmanned assets, naval assets and integrating them with an extensive satellite and communication networks, OCEAN2020 takes the aims of PADR and puts them into the operational domain where the benefits of European defence cooperation are confirmed.”
 

First sea demonstration 20-21 November 2019

Today’s Mediterranean Sea Demonstration, led by the Italian Navy, tests how the fusion of data and information collected from the assets deployed in the area of operations can be integrated to create a Recognised Maritime Picture (RMP). OCEAN2020 aims to show how multiple information sources can be integrated with Combat Management Systems (CMSs) to create a RMP, while equally highlighting how collaborative autonomy between multi-domain unmanned vehicles can provide a force multiplier. The demonstration runs two scenarios; a threatening vessel interdiction and interception of a mine laying vessel before an amphibious operation.
 

Baltic Sea 2020

A second Live Sea Demonstration will take place in Summer 2020 in the Baltic Sea and will be led by the Swedish Navy.
 

Background

Funded from the European Union’s Preparatory Action on Defence Research under grant agreement No 801697, OCEAN2020 received funding of €35.48 Million. Since its launch in April 2018 the project has undertaken extensive research and technology work to reach the point of undertaking a live sea demonstration. The consortium have been involved in a significant amount of solution analysis, system design, technical development and system integration of individual assets and trials.

Information on the 42 consortium members can be found on the OCEAN2020 website and factsheet.
 

Further information

• OCEAN2020 Factsheet
• OCEAN2020 Website 
• @OCEAN2020 Twitter account
• #OCEAN2020 on social media
• EC Press release IP/19/1717 European Defence Fund on track with €525 million for Eurodrone and other joint research and industrial projects (19 March 2019)
• News OCEAN2020 kick-off meeting at EDA (10 Apr 2018)

  EDA press contacts:

Elisabeth SCHOEFFMANN
Head of Media & Communication
T+32 470 87 01 65

Paul QUINN
Media & Communications Officer 
Tel:  +32 2 504 28 24

         
OCEAN2020 consortium press contacts:

Fiorella LAMBERTI
OCEAN2020 Communications Manager – Leonardo
Tel: +39 06 32 47 39 30

Flavia NEGRETTI
Media Relations Manager - Leonardo 
Tel:  +39 33 46 37 84 22

 
EC press contacts:

Mirna TALKO
Team Leader – Press and Social Media team
Tel: +32 2 29 87278

Olga JABLONOWSKA
Information and Communication Officer 
Tel:  +32 2 29 95113

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Around 50 helicopter tactics specialists from 11 EDA participating Member States as well as representatives of the Helicopter Tactics Instructors Course (HTIC), the Joint Air Power Competence Centre (JAPCC), and European Helicopter industry met recently in the Air Manoeuvre, Training and Exercise Centre (AMTEC) situated in Celle, Germany, for the 10th Helicopter Tactics Symposium, organised under the EDA’s Helicopter Exercise Programme (HEP). 

 

Participants of the Helicopter Tactics Symposium

 

This annual event proved once more to be a unique occasion for European helicopter crews to discuss and share expertise and best practices related to helicopter tactics and to learn about  training opportunities under the Helicopter Exercise Programme (HEP).

A central part of the symposium was devoted to drawing the tactical lessons from recent EDA helicopter exercises, such as ‘Dark Blade 19’ held at Namest 22nd Helicopter Air Base, Czech Republic, in May 2019 (see EDA webnews here). Other sessions addressed the lessons learned from operation MINUSMA in Mali as well as the experiences made by helicopter pilots in Iraq and Libya. Furthermore, a Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) shared his experience and feedback on working with helicopters in operations as well as EDA exercises.

Symposium attendees also received detailed information on helicopter tactics such as aerial gunnery, personnel recovery, air assault/airmobile operations and its planning cycle, NVG training and Attack Helicopter Tactics. A representative from Sweden briefed on the country’s new Helicopter Tactics Training Concept which will include courses given under the umbrella of EDA such as HTC and HTIC.
 

Electronic Warfare

A new topic on the annual EDA Helicopter Tactics Symposium was Electronic Warfare (EW). In that context, participating Member States' experts also provided briefings on evasive training and EW threats. Another new topic raised at the symposium was ‘Non-Technical Skills in Weapon Instructor Training” which was presented by a senior Dutch aviation psychologist and instructor pilot.
Industry was also present during the symposium with a speaker on ‘Rotary Wing developments to meet future operational needs’.

Looking ahead, symposium participants were briefed on upcoming HEP exercises, including Swift Blade 2020 (to be held in The Netherlands and Belgium) which will focus on helicopter Composite Air Operations (COMAO) and national training required by the participating member states. In 2021, the annual HEP exercise will take place in Portugal under the label ‘Hot Blade’.

 

More information:

• Helicopter initiatives (EDA project page) 

 

On 7 November, European Defence Agency (EDA) hosted two high level meetings on RPAS Air Traffic Integration and the future of Single European Sky (SES). EDA welcomed senior representatives from European aviation organisations including, EASA, SESAR Joint Undertaking, European Commission (DG MOVE) and Eurocontrol. 
 

High Level Group on the implementation of Single European Sky 

The European Defence Agency was delighted to host the meeting of the High Level Group on SES. The aims of this event were to take stock the outcomes of the High Level Conference on the Future of SES (11-12 September) and to discuss the way ahead regarding the concepts promoted by the Airspace Architecture Study and the Wise Persons Group Report, in view of the Transport Council on 2 December 2019.  During the discussions, EDA Chief Executive, Jorge Domecq,  recalled that the military community recognises the need to collaboratively address the modernisation of the European Air Traffic Management (ATM) system for the benefit of all users, ensuring that some key military principles, in particular linked to ATM Data Service Provision (ADSP) and Airspace Management, which is a national prerogative, are duly considered.
  

4th High Level Coordination Mechanism Meeting

EDA also  hosted the 4th high level meeting on the Coordination Mechanism between the European Commission, EASA, SJU and EDA for the development and implementation of a joint civil-military Roadmap towards drone Air Traffic Integration. Eurocontrol was also  invited to this important EU coordination mechanism which aims to align  workstreams in the regulatory, technical and standardisation domains with the overall objective of supporting the Accommodation of a European MALE-type RPAS in the 2020-2025 timeframe, with full integration as of 2025.

The coordination efforts are of particular importance given the limitations to use military RPAS in a non-segregated airspace as this harms the effectiveness of the systems.
 

Guidelines for the  accommodation of military IFR MALE type RPAS under GAT airspace classes A-C

Finally, EDA Chief Executive, Jorge Domecq and EASA Executive Director, Patrick Ky, presented the “Guidelines for the accommodation of military IFR MALE type RPAS under GAT airspace classes A-C”. This document is the result of a task force jointly launched and chaired by EASA and EDA, with valuable contributions from several representatives of military and civil organisations.

These guidelines propose a basis for Member States and their ANSPs to conduct their own safety assessment and to develop their operational procedures and processes in compliance with European ATM/ANS Regulation.

 

Croatian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Damir Krstičević, paid a visit to EDA on 12 November for talks with the Agency’s Chief Executive Jorge Domecq.

The main topics discussed during the meeting included the current state of play and way ahead in the implementation of the EU defence initiatives (PESCO, CARD, European Defence Fund), the implementation of the revised EU Capability Development Priorities adopted in June 2018 and Croatia’s current and potential participation in EDA projects and programmes.  Particular focus was put on the CBRN Surveillance as a Service (CBRN SaaS) project, a PESCO project in which Croatia participates (together with Austria, Slovenia and Hungary) and for which EDA has been asked to support the implementation (see related EDA webnews). CBRN SaaS will provide a rapidly deployable 24/7 chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) surveillance capability. Deputy Prime Minister Krstičević was also presented with detailed updates on several other ongoing projects, including on Military Mobility and the Agency’s work related to cyber defence. 

Deputy Prime Minister Krstičević said he expected the Agency to continue to be a strong factor in strengthening the coherence of European defence initiatives.

Mr Domecq and Deputy Prime Minister Krstičević also discussed the defence and security priorities of the upcoming Croatian Presidency of the Council of the European Union (first semester 2020). Supporting small and medium-sized enterprises and strengthening Europe's defence, technological and industrial base will be one of Croatia's EU Presidency priorities in the field of defence. They also discussed the follow-up of their recent successful meeting in Zagreb last September (see related webnews) as well as of the workshop in the Croatian Chamber of Commerce which was organised in cooperation with the Agency. 

End of October, EDA’s Cyber Defence Research and Technology (R&T) Ad Hoc Working Group (AHWG) organised its 10th meeting in Madrid, combined with a research workshop on cyber defence technologies innovation management.

The aim of the Cyber R&T AHWG was to analyse emerging new cyber defence technologies with a twofold objective: firstly to get feedback from participants as regards the development of future technology roadmaps; and secondly to review the updated Cyber Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) and ensure it is complete. The EDA Cyber R&T AHWG is composed of cyber defence research experts and cyber specialists coming from participating Member States, industry and academia. Their task is to develop and update the cyber defence SRA within EDA’s Overarching Strategic Research Agenda (OSRA) framework. Since its establishment in 2016, the Cyber R&T AHWG has promoted EU collaborative research projects on cyber defence including work on emerging technologies with cyber implications. During its mandate, the working group has provided expertise for two ongoing EDA Cat B projects notably on “Cyber Situation Awareness Packages” and on “Enhanced Malware detection”. The Cyber Technology Landscaping Study - commissioned by EDA in 2018 and awarded to ISDEFE, AIT and CEIS – analyses the implementation aspects of the SRA and provides additional inputs which complement the findings on the state-of-the-art technology and related cyber threats.

At the second workshop devoted to innovation, which is part of the OSRA value chain and toolbox, participants discussed cross-cutting cyber defence aspects related to land, maritime, air and space domains as well as modelling and simulation in order to develop new ideas that have the potential to increase cyber defence effectiveness and efficiency. One of the objectives here was to identify potential new projects to be launched in a longer capability perspective, up to 2028. 

Both events took place in Madrid at INDRA and ISDEFE premises respectively.   
 

Background

In November 2018, the European Council adopted an updated version of the EU cyber defence policy framework (CDPF) which calls for considering cyber defence issues in the calls of the Preparatory Action on Defence Research and in the topics called for in the European Defence Fund.

Cyber R&T’s primary focus is to reduce risks when addressing future military capabilities. Researchers in this field are encouraged to explore new avenues because of its novelty and the likelihood of getting quick applications. The military is taking steps towards a better understanding of the implication of recognising cyberspace as an operational domain. Therefore, mature solutions shall always count on well-structured research, development and testing  prior to fielding.

Cyber R&T is one important work strand of the Capability Development Priority “Enabling capabilities for cyber responsive operations”. The OSRA - which provides a necessary link between R&T efforts and the military tasks and long-term capability needs of the Capability Development Plan (CDP) -  identified a number of Research and Technology areas, the so-called Technology Building Blocks (TBBs), in which a cooperative approach at the European level would bring an added-value to support the development of defence capabilities. The Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) on Cyber Defence developed within the relevant EDA Ad Hoc Working Group in compliance with OSRA requirements provides informed prioritisation on cyber-related technologies necessary for the military, while at the same time identifying opportunities for dual-use efforts and investments - be it in national, multinational or EU-funded contexts. 
 

More information:

• Cyber defence (EDA factsheet)

Today, the European Defence Agency (EDA) has for the first time been chosen to support the development of a PESCO project as an Agency initiative, in line with the PESCO commitment to use EDA as the European forum for project capability development. The Austrian-lead project, CBRN Surveillance as a Service (CBRN SaaS), will provide a rapidly deployable 24/7 chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) surveillance capability. The project aims to maximise the use of unmanned ground systems and aerial drones which will be equipped with a variety of sensors to deliver a real time CBRN surveillance, detection and incident management capability for both civilian and military purposes. 

CBRN SaaS involves four contributing Member States (cMS), Austria (lead), Croatia, Hungary and Slovenia. Following a request from the project lead, on behalf of the cMS, CBRN SaaS will be taken forward as an EDA project. The transfer was formalised today during a signing ceremony in the margins of the EDA Steering Board.

Speaking at the event, Thomas Starlinger, Minister of Defence of Austria said, “CBRN SaaS will be designed for use in the military and civilian domain. For the Austrian Armed Forces it constitutes another means to increase force protection for operations in Austria as well as abroad. National project partners may also benefit since the project will most probably be eligible for funding from the European Defence Industrial Development Programme. Through this, Small and Medium Sized Enterprises and Research Institutes will profit through a financial return from the EU.”

The high strategic value of assets that provide 24/7 CBRN surveillance is proven by their ability to survey critical infrastructure and borders, augment situational awareness and support not only  military commanders but also national disaster management in dealing with CBRN incidents. CBRN SaaS will establish an unmanned sensor network consisting of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and Unmanned Ground Systems (UGS) that will be interoperable with legacy systems. When combined with communications and data networks it will deliver a Recognised CBRN Picture that enhances knowledge-based decision making by leaders and supports the mission of saving lives. In focusing on the deployment of unmanned systems, operational flexibility will be increased and reduces the risk to the operators.  

“EDA is delighted to take this project forward and support our Member States. CBRN SaaS will benefit from EDA’s extensive experience of delivering defence cooperation projects, especially the insights gained from the EDA CBRN Joint Investment Programme. CBRN agents and weapons are a source of great concern, effective surveillance is therefore a crucial capability. As endorsed by the EU’s Capability Development Plan, developing enhanced CBRN capabilities based on newly available technologies such as unmanned systems is a priority that will enhance Europe’s resilience and preparedness to deal with CBRN threats.” EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq commented.

The CBRN SaaS main deliverable will be an operational plugin module for widely varying civilian missions and CSDP or NATO military operations. As a capability and technology development project, CBRN SaaS aims to provide suitable mobility (e.g. aerial, ground, unmanned) to mount CBRN sensors that will collect and send data to be processed through a secure network to the decision maker.

In addition, the generated Recognised CBRN Picture can be offered as a power by the hour service to others in need of CBRN surveillance.

The project will run until 2022, and will mainly deliver a demonstrator that provides a proof of concept; a Cooperation Roadmap which identifies what future modules could be developed in what format and with whom; a concept of operations and a service availability concept. 
 

Background

CBRN SaaS was approved and initially launched as a PESCO project within the second batch on 19 November 2018.

Following a decision of the cMS, EDA was requested to support establishing the CBRN SaaS Cat. B project (developed and launched by a number of cMS with the opportunity for other participating Member States to join later) that will help implement the CBRN SaaS PESCO project.
   
 

EDA press contacts:

Elisabeth SCHOEFFMANN
Head of Media & Communication
elisabeth.schoeffmann@eda.europa.eu
T+32 470 87 01 65

Paul QUINN
Media & Communications Officer
paul.quinn@eda.europa.eu
T+32 2 504 28 10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The European Defence Agency’s (EDA) ministerial Steering Board met today under the chairmanship of the Head of the Agency, Federica Mogherini. Defence ministers shared their expectations and views ahead of the presentation  of the first full CARD Report which will be delivered to the Steering Board in November 2020.
 

Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD)

Ministers took the opportunity to highlight their expectations and share success factors they deem important ahead of delivery of the first full CARD Report. The discussions come at an important juncture in the CARD process, as EDA together with the EU Military Staff (EUMS) are currently carrying out bilateral dialogues with each Member State to complement and consolidate information it has already gathered on national defence planning.  

Ministers discussions focused around CARD’s relevance for national defence planning and its contribution to other EU defence initiatives. Ministers expressed their views on how best to structurally integrate CARD into national planning and decision-making and how to incentivise the translation of CARD recommendations into new collaborative projects. 

CARD provides an overview that will allow Member States to better coordinate their defence planning and spending and engage in collaborative projects, improving consistency in Member States defence spending and overall coherence of the European capability landscape. 

“CARD is designed to be a ‘pathfinder’ helping Member States to get a better picture of the European capability landscape and identify new opportunities for cooperation on capability development and procurement, while avoiding duplication of work with NATO. CARD will over time play a crucial role in providing a comprehensive picture of Member States’ defence plans and capabilities, the state of collaboration, as well as progress towards EU capability development priorities.” Jorge Domecq, EDA’s Chief Executive, commented.
 

2020 budget

Ministers also approved the Agency’s general budget 2020 on the basis of a proposal made by the Head of the Agency at the level of €34.125 M. This is with the understanding that pending further clarification of the Brexit situation in 2020, an Amending Budget, that takes into account the role EDA plays in the context of major EU defence initiatives and the Agency’s core activities, will be submitted by the Agency to the Steering Board
 

EDA to take forward PESCO project on CBRN surveillance

EDA has for the first time been chosen to support the development of a PESCO project as an Agency initiative, in line with the PESCO commitment to use EDA as the European forum for project capability development. The project, CBRN Surveillance as a Service (CBRN SaaS), will provide a rapidly deployable 24/7 chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) surveillance capability.

CBRN SaaS involves four contributing Member States (cMS), Austria (lead), Croatia, Hungary and Slovenia. Following a request from the project lead, on behalf of the cMS, CBRN SaaS will be taken forward as an EDA project. The transfer was formalised today during a signing ceremony in the margins of the EDA Steering Board (full press release).

 
  EDA press contacts:

Elisabeth SCHOEFFMANN
Head of Media & Communication
elisabeth.schoeffmann@eda.europa.eu
T+32 470 87 01 65

Paul QUINN
Media & Communications Officer
paul.quinn@eda.europa.eu
T+32 2 504 28 10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Antti Kaikkonen, the Defence Minister of Finland, visited the European Defence Agency on 11 November where he was welcomed by Chief Executive Jorge Domecq. The Minister was accompanied by the Defence Political Director, Janne Kuusela, as well as other officials from the MoD.

A wide range of topics related to European defence cooperation were discussed, including the state of play on the EU defence initiatives (CARD, PESCO, EDF), the importance of ensuring their coherent and efficient implementation, as well as the need for Member States to embed them into their national defence planning in order to reach the goal of a more coherent, efficient and interoperable European defence landscape.

Finland’s role and participation in EDA projects were also discussed during the visit. Minister Kaikkonen  was presented with detailed updates on several ongoing projects including the air-to-air refuelling Multinational Multirole Tanker Transport Fleet (MMF) or the Agency’s work related to governmental satellite communication (GovSatCom) and the EU Satellite Communication Market (EU SatCom Market).

The European Defence Agency’s (EDA) Cyber Ranges Federation project, in which 11 Member States federate their national cyber ranges and thereby improve their respective cyber defence training capabilities, reached an important milestone with the successful multinational demonstration exercise held in Helsinki. The event, co-organised by the Finnish MoD and EDA, was attended and supported by experts from several contributing countries (Finland, Estonia, Sweden, Latvia) as well as the European Space Agency (ESA). 

Two and a half years after the launch of the Cyber Ranges Federation project (the first ever cyber defence pooling & sharing project initiated by the Agency), the objective of the live demonstration was to showcase the practical implications and benefits of connecting and jointly using Member States’ cyber ranges in order to improve and expand each one’s cyber training capabilities. The event allowed participants to witness first-hand what the project aims to achieve and how it has already enhanced the cyber expertise and skills of each of the contributing Member States. 

Practically speaking, the event consisted of a live fire exercise, based on a fictive but realistic training scenario, in which one team had to respond to and defend itself against cyber attacks from another. The exercise used SD-WAN technology as the backbone network technology. The participating national cyber ranges as well as the European Space Agency’s were all interconnected and interacting in real time, with and each of them having its own particular role to play in the exercise.

The demonstration event was part of the ‘European Union’s combined Cyber and Hybrid Week’ which is currently being held in Helsinki under the auspices of the Finnish EU Presidency. The aim of the week is to create synergies by combining three independent events: EDA’s Project Team Cyber Meeting (5-6 November), EDA’s Cyber Ranges Demo Event (6 November) and the Cyber Power in Hybrid Warfare-symposium organised by the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats (7-8 November).

“Finland, as an active player in Cyber domain, has been honoured to be in the lead of this project since Sept 2018. Finalizing challenging project is always a result of good and fruitful cooperation – in this case between 11 contributing member states. It´s very significant to continue developing just established Cyber Ranges Federation platform in the future”, said Jukka Juusti, Permanent Secretary of Finnish Ministry of Defence.

“There isn’t probably a domain from which more new security threats are emerging than from cyber. Therefore, stepping up our common cyber defence is a matter of priority and urgency, as it is also reflected in the revised European Capability Development Priorities approved last year. By pooling and sharing their national cyber ranges, participating Member States will be able to improve their joint training conditions and, as a result, strengthen their cyber resilience. This successful exercise has shown that we are on the right path”, said Jorge Domecq, EDA’s Chief Executive. 

“It is now well ascertained that space systems play a crucial role in the security, wellbeing and economic success of Europe. Protecting space assets from cyber threats is therefore a key priority and technological challenge. ESA has a duty to protect its Member States’ investments in space. Today we witnessed a successful demonstration of the ESA-EDA partnership. A partnership that will continue to be instrumental in increasing Europe’s cyber resilience, namely through strengthening cyber response skills and capabilities in ESA. Todays` significant exercise illustrates our existing cyber resilience capabilities located in the European Space Security and Education Centre in Belgium. Cyber threats are constantly evolving. We must therefore maintain and strengthen our capabilities and have made the necessary funding proposals to the Council at Ministerial level to be held in late November. The vitality of our cooperation with EDA and its Member States will continue to play an important role in the future. This is therefore but a beginning, as we are currently considering the creation of a Joint ESA-EDA Cyber Resilience Task Force to further explore cooperation avenues, including with other European partners,” added Jan Woerner, ESA’s Director General.
 

Background

The aim of EDA’s Cyber Ranges Federation project is to develop a more sophisticated and powerful platform for cyber training purposes connecting Member States´ national Cyber Ranges to one another and enabling other countries, which don’t have their cyber ranges, to train and improve their cyber defence skills nevertheless. A European federation of cyber ranges, i.e. the availability of mutually accessible cyber defence training and exercise ranges, may in the future leverage other benefits, such as cyber research ranges and cyber simulation & test ranges.
 

Contacts:

• Finnish MoD spokesperson: harri.reini@defmin.fi
• EDA spokesperson: elisabeth.schoeffmann@eda.europa.eu
• ESA spokesperson: florent.mazurelle@esa.int
  
  
  

Ukraine’s Defence Minister Andriy Zagorodnyuk today visited EDA for talks with Chief Executive Jorge Domecq on current and future opportunities for cooperation. 

It was the first encounter between Mr Domecq and Minister Zagorodnyuk who was appointed in August this year. Discussions mainly focused on the state of play of Ukraine’s participation in EDA projects and activities under the Administrative Arrangement (AA) signed in December 2015, which identifies four main areas for initial cooperation: Single European Sky, Standardization, Training, Logistics.

Minister Zagorodnyuk and Mr Domecq took stock of the good progress made so far in the implementation of the AA and exchanged views on ways to further enhance and facilitate Ukraine’s involvement in EDA projects and activities within the four areas. 

“We look forward to pursuing our cooperation with Minister Zagorodnyuk and his team building on what has already been achieved since the Administrative Agreement was signed in 2015”, Mr Domecq commented. 

Minister Zagorodnyuk expressed his gratitude for the support of Ukraine and informed the Chief Executive about the restart of the political establishment in Ukraine and that the President, the Parliament and the Government have already taken practical steps to radically accelerate reforms in Ukraine. The Minister emphasised that the MOD of Ukraine is focusing on achieving practical results on the reforms of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and gave notice on the main tasks of the Ministry of Defence in the short term. 

The Minister stressed his interest in increasing practical cooperation between the MOD of Ukraine and EDA, in accordance with the Administrative Arrangement signed in 2015. He further informed about Ukraine's aspiration to take part in PESCO projects with EU Member states when a decision about participation of third States is made.

Minister Zagorodnyuk in his visit to EDA was accompanied by Deputy Minister of Defence Ms. Alina Frolova and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Yehor Bozhok.
 

More information:

• EDA-Ukraine Administrative Arrangement
• EDA Chief Executive visits Ukraine (webnews Nov 2018)
  
  

This week (22/23 October), EDA hosted the third PESCO workshop related to the European Secure Software Defined Radio (ESSOR) project which aims to develop common technologies for European military radios. 

The adoption of these technologies as a standard will guarantee the interoperability of EU forces in the framework of joint operations, regardless which radio platforms are used. The ESSOR project will provide a secure military communications system, improving voice and data communication between Member States’ Armed Forces on a variety of platforms. In addition, it will deliver guidelines related to the validation and verification of waveform portability and platform re-configurability, setting up a common security basis to increase interoperability between the forces. By ensuring that military radios are fully accessible, shared and used by all Member States, the effectiveness of joint operations can be increased substantially. 

To that end, the Member States participating in the ESSOR project - Belgium, Germany, Spain, Finland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Portugal (with Estonia and Ireland as observers) - have moved forward to implement a common architecture analysis of software radios in Europe. 

The ESSOR project activities are currently performed by the consortium A4ESSOR through a contract managed by OCCAr.  A4ESSOR is a joint-venture of the following companies: Thales (FR), Leonardo (IT), Indra (SP), Radmor (PL), Bittium (FI) and soon Rohde & Schwarz (DE). 

The ESSOR PESCO project presents exceptional technological characteristics: it is based on the state-of-the-art technology in the radio field, and it aims at developing the most advanced concepts and solutions for communications applicable to several waveform layers. It builds a complete set of capabilities which will satisfy the most demanding, modern and future communication requirements. 
 

EDA supports development of ESSOR CONOPS 

Earlier this month (11 October), the 2nd ESSOR workshop on the development of a “concept of operations” (CONOPS) had already taken place at the Agency. It allowed the project Members States to gain insight into the process and methodology which are compliant with NATO Architecture Framework version 4. The CONOPS aims at describing the operational needs, visions and expectations of the operational users (from tactical level to component command) on the new waveforms to be developed in the context of the PESCO ESSOR project. It analyses operational scenarios using vignettes and identifies categories of architectural information which are further developed into operational requirements and technical requirements. A questionnaire is being distributed to operational staff of the Army, Navy and Air Force to gather inputs on the role of software defined radio to ensure interoperability among military communication and information systems in a future pervasive interconnected battlefield. 
 

Background

PESCO, the Permanent Structured Cooperation set up in December 2017, allows the 25 participating Member States to jointly plan, develop and invest in shared capability projects, and enhance the operational readiness and contribution of their armed forces. The aim is to jointly develop a coherent full spectrum force package and make the capabilities available to Member States for national and multinational (EU CSDP, NATO, UN, etc.) missions and operations. 

For more information on PESCO visit the website https://pesco.europa.eu/. 

 

A joint EDA-NATO Air-to-Air Refuelling (AAR) Conference, the first of its kind in this format, was opened this morning by the Dutch Minister of Defence, Ank Bijleveld (who spoke via video message), NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment, Camille Grand, and EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq. It followed a successful first European AAR conference organised by EDA last year.

The event, moderated by the Chairman of the Aerial Refuelling Systems Advisory Group (ARSAG), General John Sams, brought together key decision-makers from the EU and NATO as well as the wider transatlantic and international AAR community, including industry, to discuss current and future challenges and coordinate efforts in this important domain. Among the high-level speakers of the conference were notably Major General Laurent Marboeuf, the commander of the European Air Transport Command (EATC), Major General Jose Maria Juanas from the Spanish Air Force, Colonel Juergen Wallwei from the German Military Aviation Authority and Dave Benson from the US Air Force Aerial Refueling Certification Agency (ARCA). The list of all speakers is available in the conference agenda at https://aarconference.org/agenda.

A special focus was put on ways and means to enhance euro-atlantic AAR interoperability. Throughout the day,  the topic was presented, discussed and analysed in various sessions dealing with different aspects, from the optimisation of existing capabilities and the development of new capabilities to the operational and industrial implications of it.

In his opening speech, Jorge Domecq praised the good cooperation between EDA, NATO and ARSAG in such crucial a domain than air-to-air refuelling. “This is yet another testimony of pragmatic cooperation, to ensure complementarity of efforts and avoid unnecessary duplications, as called for by the EU-NATO Joint Declaration”, Mr Domecq said.  

Over recent years, important progress has been made in order to mitigate the important capability gap Europe still has in the field of AAR (establishment of a Multinational MRTT Fleet, AAR exercises organised by the European Air Transport Command, gradual entrance into service of the A440M, successful clearance campaigns between A400M tankers and various receivers, etc.), “but it is not sufficient”, the EDA Chief Executive stressed: “What we really need is to ensure that the AAR shortfall, like capability gaps in other areas, is addressed in a more systematic way”. Therefore, the fact that AAR was reconfirmed as one of the EU Capability Development Priorities (it is embedded in the wider Air Superiority priority) which were approved by EU Member States in 2018, in full complementarity with NATO’s NDPP, will enable the continuation of this effort.  Work is now underway to implement the priorities, including the AAR related one, through Strategic Context Cases (SCCs). 
 

Challenges in the short, medium and long term

“In the short-term, the main challenge is to optimise the use of the existing AAR assets available in Europe, and we can do that through, for example, increased participation in annual European AAR Training (EART). But we can also increase interoperability by increasing AAR clearances - because a tanker without a clearance is not a tanker”, said Mr Domecq who also stressed that the certification of AAR is clearly an airworthiness aspect. In this respect, he welcomed that airworthiness authorities in the AAR field now realise and agree on the fact that “the technical assessment of an AAR clearance is their responsibility”. In the medium-term, the challenge is to cover the peak demand in AAR during the initial phase of an operation or conflict when air superiority is not yet assured, for instance by expanding the MMF fleet. “EDA stands ready to assist interested Member States in the process to explore their potential participation in this important project”, Mr Domecq said.  And finally, in the longer term, the challenge is to close the remaining capability gap, both in strategic and tactical AAR, including by developing automated/autonomous air to air refuelling systems (A3R) as a useful complement to manned AAR capabilities. “It is evident that the future of AAR will be automated”. 

EDA will organise a workshop on 28 January 2020 to bring together Member States and industry to discuss the way ahead on this topic.

 
More information: 

• AAR Conference paper
• Speech by EDA Chief executive Jorge Domecq
• Video message by Dutch Minister of Defence Ank Bijleveld
• Speech by NATO Assistant SG for Defence Investment, Camille Grand

 

After a test run in 2018, EDA has now completed the first fully-fletched Defence Energy Managers’ Course (DEMC)  in which participated a total of 17 students from eight EDA Member States. The course, one of the Agency’s most recent training and education activities, aims at increasing Armed Forces’ energy efficiency and reducing the military’s overall energy consumption through the introduction of defence-specific energy management systems based on the ISO 50001 standard.  

The DEMC provided both theoretical and practical training to energy managers from Member States’ ground forces and air forces as well as navies. The course was launched in November 2018 and attended by personnel from the Armed Forces and/or Ministries of Defence from Belgium, Estonia, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Sweden and the United Kingdom.  

The course was split into five distinct modules: three classroom-type sessions and two more practical modules which, in total, lasted some 11 months. Participants increased their knowledge of the complexities of managing energy within a defence organisation (energy management systems were applied to different military installations, from air and naval bases to governmental facilities) and learned how to structure and implement efficient energy management systems. Throughout the course, students were supported by mentors and members of the European Defence Energy Network (EDEN) which also allowed them to have permanent access to the networks’ on-line resources.

The successful completion of the first DEMC marks an important milestone in EDA’s efforts aimed to increase energy sustainability in defence sector and reduce the military’s environmental footprint, also building on the work done in the Consultation Forum for Sustainable Energy in the Defence and Security Sector (CFSEDSS) sponsored by the European Commission and the Agency’s own Energy and Environmental Working Group.

Two additional courses are currently underway; they will be completed by May 2020.

The whole DEMC project is run by EDA’s Industry, Synergies & Enablers Directorate (ISE) and delivered by GEN Europe and the Centre for Renewable Energy Sources & Savings (CRES). 

More information

• Third Defence Management course launched
  
  

EDA’s 2019 Military Airworthiness Conference, a two-days event organised with the support of the Lithuanian Ministry of Defence, was opened today in Vilnius by EDA’s Deputy Chief Executive Olli Ruutu. 

The conference brings together key stakeholders from national authorities, industry, European agencies and international organisations, to exchange views and best practices related to the harmonisation of European military airworthiness rules and standards. Common airworthiness approaches and standards are viewed as critical enablers for enhanced European defence cooperation.  

Over the two days, four main topics are being addressed through specific sessions: i) the impact of European Military Airworthiness Requirements (EMARs) on military aviation; ii) opportunities and challenges related to that; iii) lessons learned from EMARs implementation so far; iv) and the experiences made by third-party stakeholders.
 

Good progress made over past 10 years

In his opening speech, EDA Deputy Chief Olli Ruutu thanked the Lithuanian Armed Forces for hosting the event and for their strong interest in the work of the Military Airworthiness Authorities (MAWA) Forum and the harmonisation of airworthiness approaches.  

Since work started ten years ago on the harmonisation of airworthiness approaches in Europe, much has been achieved, Mr Ruutu said.  “The majority of EDA participating Member States have already implemented or are in the process of implementing European Military Airworthiness Requirements in their national regulations. But as you all are aware, the implementation of EMARs is not only about translating them in regulations but also about turning them into practice. And that makes EMAR implementation the most important phase in the harmonisation process and crucial for gaining the full benefits”, he stressed. Implementing the EMARs often means a different approach to military airworthiness that requires a change in safety culture, the Deputy Chief Executive stated. 

Further progress is also required as regards the cooperation between the national military airworthiness authorities in Europe, a topic which is already in the focus of the MAWA Forum.  “Since last year when the MAWA Forum adopted a new airworthiness roadmap, the forum has started several activities to develop harmonised practices and procedures with the objective to increase the level of standardisation and cooperation in the area of initial approvals of and oversight over organisations that provide services in the military airworthiness domain”, Mr Ruutu recalled. In parallel, Member States are engaged in mutual recognitions. “At this stage, 35 active recognitions are already in place between EDA pMS and several recognitions have been concluded with Military Airworthiness Authorities from other countries worldwide. These recognitions familiarise nations with each other’s airworthiness systems. It facilitates the exchange of lessons learned and the development of best practices and helps to build mutual trust and confidence, which are the cornerstones for cooperation”, Mr Ruutu welcomed. 
 

Towards aligning the national airworthiness systems

Based on this, Member States should now consider which additional cooperation steps they could take in the area of military airworthiness in line with their PESCO commitments, he said. “I believe it is now good to reflect on the best cooperative working structures for military airworthiness authorities; keeping in mind that we need to ensure that we are as effective as possible in aligning the national airworthiness systems towards a single reference without affecting national sovereignty as regards airworthiness risk acceptance. We need to facilitate an increased efficiency in certification, approval and oversight activities but also provide industry with a single framework to meet the requirements of all participating Member States”, Mr Ruutu said.
 

Background

The Military Airworthiness Authorities (MAWA) Forum oversees the development and maintenance of the European Military Airworthiness Requirements (EMARs) and promotes ways and means to harmonise the military airworthiness oversight across Europe.

Picture: Bundeswehr Technical Center for Information Technology and Electronics in Greding (Germany)

With its final working group meeting held at the Agency premises on 26 September, EDA’s European Network on Electro Magnetic Effects Test & Evaluation capabilities Rationalisation (ENTER) project has been officially concluded. 

Launched in 2014 as a so-called Category B project within the EDA’s Defence Test and Evaluation Base (DTEB) initiative, it was supported by eight Member States: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and The Netherlands. The main objective of ENTER has been achieved: the creation of a coordinated network of EME (Electro-Magnetic Effects) test centres in the participating countries, which will facilitate the future cooperation among them based on a shared technical understanding and background. The various centres attached to the network are: 

• Armament and Defence Technology Agency, Electrical Engineering Division (Vienna, Austria)
• Royal Military Academy, Department of Communication Information Systems & Sensors (Brussels, Belgium)
• Military Technical Institute (Prague, Czech Republic)
• WTD 81 - Bundeswehr Technical Center for Information Technology and Electronics (Greding, Germany)
• CISAM - Centro Interforze Studi Applicazioni Militari (Pisa, Italy)
• INTA - Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aerospacial (Torrejon de Ardoz - Madrid, Spain)
• FMV - Swedish Defence Materiel Administration – T&E Division (Ostersund, Sweden)
• RNLM/DMI/MT Sensors and Weapon Systems (Den Helder, The Netherland).

The network of EME test centres and related national experts will now continue to cooperate in the specific EME sector within the DTEB framework. The damaging effects of electromagnetic interference pose unacceptable risks in military technologies. Against this backdrop, the ENTER network will jointly develop ways and means in order to mitigate the risks of fatal electromagnetic interference during EU missions, among other things by examining the hazardous impact of civil equipment on military operations and vice versa.

Besides working on the network, the ENTER project also allowed participating Member States to conduct joint tests, to promote the use of harmonised test procedures, maintain and develop T&E capabilities and expertise and share knowledge, expertise and equipment. ENTER’s results and final recommendations will be further exploited to improve the EME section of the DTEB database.
 

More information:

• Defence Test and Evaluation Base (DTEB) – EDA project page

EDA’s Steering Board has just approved the launch of a 4-year CAT B project aimed at developing a swarm of biomimetic underwater vehicles for underwater intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (SABUVIS II). It builds upon previous collaboration carried out under the SABUVIS I project which was completed in 2019. So far, two Member States (Poland, Germany) are contributing to this new project for which a project arrangement is expected to be signed later next year.

The new project is important for defence as Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) are being increasingly utilised for a variety of differing tasks in the maritime environment. They represent a viable alternative to the operation of manned platforms and are particularly well suited to the rigours of an inhospitable domain that places a premium on technical advancements. 

Taking the natural world as its template, this collaborative project seeks to replicate some of the key features of marine life, principally those of propulsion and behaviour, so as to ensure the successful completion of underwater operations. A key feature of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance missions (ISR) for example, is the necessity to undertake these missions covertly, and those systems that are difficult to detect, both visually and audibly, provide the optimum solution. 

 

Building on the findings of SABUVIS I

This project is a continuation of the successful collaboration enjoyed between Poland, Germany and Portugal in the first SABUVIS project. In this first iteration, three different Biomimetic Underwater Vehicles (BUVs) were constructed with the resulting conclusion that BUVs can be designed with varying degrees of similarity with living organisms. Some of the identified benefits are that undulating propulsion consumes less electrical energy than conventional propulsion systems utilising screw based propellers, and different hydroacoustic signatures are produced with a corresponding lower noise level. 

This second phase will now expand upon, and investigate further, the swarm aspects with more tightly cooperating vehicles, moving in formations and consisting of vehicles having specific functions or tasks to perform. The project in particular will focus on the lead vehicles, who are responsible for the navigation function. 

The expected advantages of utilising vehicles in a swarm are reliability and efficiency. Firstly, the swarm system can incorporate redundant elements, essentially extra vehicles, which increases reliability in performing a task – the loss of one element does not result in the mission being abandoned. Secondly, the distribution of sensors and devices necessary to perform the mission across a number of vehicles makes it possible to reduce the size and complexity of vehicles and thus ensures simpler construction. Technological areas that the project will also focus on are in the area of navigation and principally in GPS denied areas, optical surface coastal navigation systems and new biomimetic drives.  

The principle organisations planned to undertake this project are the Polish Naval Academy and also the Wehrtechnische Dienststelle für Schiffe und Marinewaffen der Bundeswehr, Maritime Technologie und Forschung (WTD 71) in Germany. The project is as a result of the successful cooperation in EDA’s Maritime Capability Technology Group. 

The Cooperative Financial Mechanism (CFM), an innovative programme initiated by EDA with a view to facilitating the financing of collaborative defence capability and research projects – for instance if unsynchronised defence budgets in participating Member States hinder or impede the launch of such projects – is now in the starting blocks. The final version of the CFM’s Programme Arrangement (PA), negotiated over the past two years, has been sent out this week to Member States for signing.

Eleven Member States (Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain) have already declared their firm willingness to sign and to join the CFM in the near future. More countries might join the programme in the coming weeks. The CFM will enter into force when the last country having declared its intention to join will have signed the PA. 

Developed as a so-called ‘Category A’ programme of the Agency, the CFM is entirely voluntary. Member States can freely decide if they wish to participate, contribute and support projects.

The CFM will be structured in two pillars:

• the first pillar foresees the European Investment Bank (EIB) as the sole lender through the conclusion of bilateral framework loan agreements between EIB and the interested Member State. To obtain the EIB’s financial support, projects submitted must respect the eligibility requirements set by the Bank lending policy, while the volume of the lending facility and the interest rate applied are negotiated on a case-by-case basis by the EIB and the interested MS and set out under each individual Framework Loan Agreement. The EIB involvement is supported and facilitated by the EDA which will act as the ‘Facility Agent’ on behalf of EIB under its instructions and responsibility, serving as a primary point of contact between the EIB and the beneficiary country in the technical assessment of the feasibility of each project;
• the second pillar provides for a State-to-State support facility, structured as a system of reimbursable advances and deferred payments. It can be used to support any defence related project, in full compliance with national and European law. The facility is structured as a set of individual bank accounts which are opened and managed by the EDA under the control of the CFM participating Member States. Within that pillar, any CFM Member can submit a request for financial support to the CFM programme. While the Programme Arrangement provides the overarching legal framework setting the general requirements and conditions for State-to-State support, the specific conditions of each advance will be set out in separate agreements to be concluded between the supporting CFM Member State, the beneficiary country and the EDA, as facilitator.
  The administrative and operational costs of the CFM will be covered by existing EDA resources meaning CFM members will not have to bear additional costs for the management of the mechanism. Notwithstanding any financial support granted under the CFM, projects or programmes subject to such financial support will remain at all times governed and managed according to their own rules.
  
  

 More information:

• European Defence Agency and European Investment Bank sign cooperation agreement (EDA webnews February 2018)