EDA News

Some 20 military helicopter pilots and intelligence officers from Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom participated in the first ever helicopter electronic warfare course organised by the European Defence Agency (EDA), from November 20th to December 1st at RAF airbase Linton-on-Ouse (UK).

The course was initiated under the Agency’s Helicopter Exercise Programme (HEP) to boost helicopter crews’ skills and abilities in electronic warfare systems and tactics, a fast evolving domain which so far barely featured in rotary missions typically deployed to ‘low-tech’ battlefields.  

Against this backdrop, the first course was largely devoted to introducing the basics of electronic warfare including the impact and functioning of radar, infra-red (IR) and ultra-violet (UV) systems. Specialists from various defence industries were invited to brief the trainees who also spent some time at the UK electronic warfare range at RAF Spadeadam where they had the opportunity to learn about various surface-to-air missile systems and exchange views with experts operating and maintaining them. The course ended with a visit to the airbase’s simulator where a bespoke electronic warfare sortie was carried out, allowing trainees to apply and visualise some of the theoretical topics previously discussed in the classroom. 

All in all a successful first course likely to be followed-up by other electronic warfare courses (basic and advanced level) in 2018 and beyond.
 

• Helicopter Initiatives (EDA project page)
  
  

EDA Member States recently adopted the REACH roadmap 2018-2020 which lists all current and potential future EDA activities related to the implementation, in the military domain, of EU Regulation No 1907/2006 on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH). The roadmap should allow for a more structured and transparent approach in supporting the main purpose of the REACH regulation which is to protect  human health and the environment while, at the same time, ensure the operational effectiveness of Member States’ armed forces.

The activities listed in the roadmap 2018-2020 are the result of an assessment, selection and prioritisation of proposals tabled by Member States, the European Commission, the defence industry as well as the recommendations made in the EDA Study on the Impact of the REACH and CLP Regulations on the Defence Sector which was finalised in December 2016.

In concrete terms, the EDA REACH roadmap 2018-2020 encompasses two categories of activities:

• generic tasks and subtasks carried out continuously, including administrative tasks, interaction and monitoring/coordinating activities with stakeholders;
• project-specific tasks and subtasks with a defined scope and duration, such as activities related to the Commission’s REACH Refit 2017, the EDA’s Code of Conduct on REACH Defence Exemptions, the EDA Member States’ Common Position on Ammunition Classification under REACH, or the implementation of specific proposals made in the aforementioned EDA Study on the Impact of the REACH and CLP Regulations on the Defence Sector.

The implementation of the different activities is managed by the Agency which shared the roadmap with all relevant stakeholders. During the whole implementation phase, the EDA will continue to closely cooperate with Member States’ REACH experts (including the EDA REACH Task Force at the technical level), the Commission, European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and the defence industry.
 

• EDA REACH roadmap 2018-2020
• EDA Member States adopt Common Position on Ammunition Classification under REACH (webnews October 2017)
• EDA REACH project webpage

How do new and constantly evolving Big Data methodologies and techniques impact defence Modelling and Simulation and how may their increasing potential be best used? To shed light on these and other questions related to Big Data in defence, the European Defence Agency (EDA) launched the ‘Big Data in Defence Modelling and Simulation’  (BIDADEMS) study whose findings are now available and has led to a new project researching new methodologies (MODSIMMET).  

While Big Data is already extensively used in the civil domain, for instance helping companies to improve decision-making based on customer spending (big) data, its potential benefits for the defence sector still needs to be explored and investigated. 

Against this backdrop in September 2016, the EDA initiated the BIDADEMS study aimed at better understanding Big Data methodologies, techniques and their potential applications in the defence domain, in particular for modelling and simulation (M&S) purposes. In the M&S domain, Big Data could potentially help to provide simplified military simulation designs, generate more realistic simulation scenarios and environments, improve the exploitation of simulation results or provide new opportunities for M&S support to military test and evaluation (T&E) activities.
 

The study identified some emerging Big Data technologies with high potential for defence M&S (such as cloud computing, non-relational databases, data analytics or visual analytics) and formulated recommendations for the EDA and Member States’ future work in this domain, notably:

1. Future M&S applications should be designed with Cloud Computing in mind, setting up cloud based environments to provide “sandbox” test areas to analyse new data sets.

2. Further investigation into the application of Data and Visual Analytics techniques and to data analytics to M&S models focussing on: 
a) Models and data available through predictive analytics as inputs for M&S models; 
b) Current data mining techniques and their applicability to M&S output data.

3. Given the high innovation rate of these techniques it seems to be necessary to both inform and educate analysts on new data analytics techniques and to provide M&S developers with Big Data considerations when developing future models. 
 

The outcome of the BIDADEMS project supported EDA’s contribution to the 2nd Annual European GeoInformation Symposium & Exhibition on Big Data and the Global Big Data Defence 2017 Summit, both held in Berlin during June 2017. Also the project has motivated the EDA’s ‘Simulation’ Capability Technology Group (CapTech) to initiate a new study, MODSIMMET, which will analyse how to approach very complex scenarios like hybrid warfare with different methodologies like Data farming and War gaming supported by Big Data and Artificial Intelligence. 

The collection, storage, analysis and management of a huge amount of real and simulated data is inevitable and will increase in the future. It will be used to take advantage of existing and future related technologies. The use of Big Data tools and methodologies is likely to be a recurrent issue in the Agency where growing attention is being devoted to these innovative technologies.  
 

• EDA Cap Tech Simulation
• EDA Cap Tech Information

From 11-15 December 2017, ICAO organised two air navigation events bringing together global partners from the aviation industry, air navigation service providers and States. 

The first event, Second Global Air Navigation Industry Symposium (GANIS/2), provided a platform for global and regional industry partners to share their latest developments, thus identifying commonalities/differences between the systems to ensure interoperability and facilitating the harmonisation of air navigation systems. While the second event, the First Safety and Air Navigation Implementation Symposium (SANIS/1), showcased the Safety and Air Navigation implementation strategies with ICAO’s Global Aviation Safety Plan (GASP) and Global Air Navigation Plan (GANP) as complimentary global plans and thereby drivers for performance improvements and promoted collaboration amongst all stakeholders.

The Single European Sky (SES) partners (the European Commission, Eurocontrol through the European Network Manager, European Aviation Safety Agency, European Defence Agency and EUROCAE as the European leader on industry standards in aviation, as well as the SESAR Joint Undertaking (SESAR JU) and the SESAR Deployment Manager (SESAR DM)) joined forces at the event with interventions in the conference focusing on key areas of SES/SESAR relevant to the ICAO vision, as well as a joint SES/SESAR exhibition stand which showcased how Europe is working together in a harmonised way to modernise our European Skies. 

A number of SES representatives and SESAR members participated in the conference sessions and discussions, promoting the central role of SESAR and EU industry in driving forward ATM modernisation in the context of the EU aviation strategy. Christophe Vivier, Head of the European Defence Agency’s SES/SESAR Unit, participated in different sessions on civil-military cooperation, including on RPAS integration and interoperability. The event also served as a platform to emphasise the need for global harmonisation and interoperability and helped to demonstrate the synergies of the European ATM Master Plan with the Global Air Navigation Plan (GANP).
 

• Read more about these events and access the full agenda on the GANIS SANIS 2017 event page
   

A €7.1 million R&T and skill-related project run by a large (‘Prime’) European defence company and designed to improve cyber defence training has been awarded EU co-funding under the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF). The EDA actively supported the project application for ESIF funding.  

The project, to be implemented by a LEONARDO-led consortium made up of four other companies as well as a university, aims at creating an integrated and multifunctional modeling and simulation system to train military staff and decision-makers under a number of cyber-related operative scenarios. The system will be built in a way that allows for flexible and customized usage in a multitude of domains including pre-deployment planning, testing of new equipment and protocols, training of operators or  support to decision-making in operations. 

This successful pilot case, widely and explicitly referring to military applications, confirms once again that defence projects can access ESIF co-funding. 
Initially brought forward by the Italian Ministry of Defence, the project will be closely coordinated with similar NATO activities, especially the work done in NATO’s Modelling and Simulation Group (NMSG) and related working groups.

• Contact EDA
• ESIF success stories in defence
• EDA’s summary table on EU funding opportunities for defence-related stakeholders
• EDA’s “ESIF web-platform”
• EDA’s work supporting access to EU funding

Situational awareness is a prerequisite for good decision-making in any CSDP mission or operation. In order to provide operation commanders with optimal capabilities in this domain, EDA Member States in 2014 launched GISMO, the ‘Geospatial Information to Support decision Making in Operations’ project.  Since then and working in partnership with the EU Satellite Centre (EU SatCen), GISMO has produced a first operational output in the form of ‘GeohuB’, a software application which allows for the safe and reliable sharing of geospatial information (GI) within a mission’s operational headquarter. After a successful field trial last February, GeohuB was successfully deployed to the Italian Operation Headquarters, Rome, in support of EU Naval Force Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR MED). 

In practical terms, this means that mission/operation participants with access to the classified mission network of EUNAVFOR MED’s operational headquarters in Rome can now upload, share and manage geospatial data related to the operation. GeohuB is accessible through a normal web browser (Explorer, Chrome, Firefox, etc.) with a user-friendly interface which makes it intuitive for non-specialists.  “If we imagine the full amount of geospatial information available to a CSDP operation as a vast image library, the GeohuB App can be compared to Instagram: an easy and user-friendly way to accessing specific, selected information clips. As with Instagram, GeohuB allows user-generated content to be uploaded and shared at anytime”,  Alessandro Cignoni, Project Officer at the EDA’s Information Superiority Unit, explained. 

GeohuB will be further improved in the coming months with the aim of bringing the App to ‘full operating capability’ by the first quarter 2019. Close cooperation between the EDA, the EU SatCen and the EU Military Staff (EUMS), as well as with the operational users in the EUNAVFOR MED headquarters in Rome will be crucial to make it a success. 

In the meantime, the application’s reputation is already growing: GeohuB is now also used in the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM Georgia) while the Portuguese Armed Forces introduced it on a national level. Furthermore, the EUMS initiated a specific project to explore the potential usage of the GeohuB within the European External Action Service (EEAS).

Commanders of CSDP missions and operations constantly need fast, reliable and updated geospatial information covering land, sea, airspace and cyber. Geospatial information is earth-related factual data referenced by geographic position and arranged in a coherent structure. Such data include topographic, aeronautical, hydrographic or planning information but also mapping, geo-referenced imagery, geophysical products, etc. available in either analogue or digital format. Most pieces of information have a location, and knowing and understanding these locations can be decisive in a mission commanders’ decision-making. Ever improving geospatial information has thus the potential to revolutionise the decision-making process within military missions and operations.  
 

• GeohuB: Successful Training and Operational Field Trial concluded at EUNAVFOR MED Operation SOPHIA HQ
• EDA and EU Satellite Centre (SATCEN) formalize cooperation with exchange of letters

The European Defence Agency (EDA) today hosted the kick-off meeting for a new study to be carried out over the next 12 months on possible future applications of graphene in the military domain and its expected impact on the European defence industry. 

Among the materials with the highest potential for revolutionizing defence capabilities in the next decade, graphene comes high up on the list. Light and flexible and yet 200 times stronger than steel, its electrical conductivity is extraordinary (better than silicon) as is its thermal conductivity. Graphene also has remarkable properties in the so-called ‘signature management’ field, meaning it can be used to produce radar absorbent coatings making military vehicles, planes, submarines or vessels almost undetectable.  All this makes of graphene an extremely attractive material not only for civil industries but also for military applications in the land, air and maritime domains. 

To explore the latter, the EDA launched the graphene study which, following a Europe-wide call for tenders, was assigned to Fundacion Tecnalia Research and Innovation (Spain) who will collaborate with two partners, the Technical University of Cartagena (Spain) and Cambridge Nanomaterial Technology Ltd (United Kingdom). All consortium members have proven experience in graphene research and also in the defence sector.
 

The study has three main objectives:

• to analyse and evaluate to what extent graphene is already used in dual-use or military areas and what the prospects of future defence applications are;
• to develop an ambitious yet realistic roadmap for the development of graphene in the defence domains, backed and supported by the EDA’s ‘Materials’ CapTech;
• to demonstrate graphene’s defence-related potential through a series of practical experiments the results of which will be published in a scientific journal 

Denis Roger, the EDA’s European Synergies & Innovation (ESI) Director, commented: “The European defence research landscape certainly stands to benefit substantially from graphene and its potential future applications in the military domain. The EDA’s study launched today could open the way towards new exciting research and capability development opportunities. We are very much looking forward to its results”. 

The study findings are expected to be published in December 2018/January 2019.
 

• CapTech Materials & Structures (EDA project page)

The Executive Directors of four key European agencies dealing with cyber security and defence - the European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA), Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3), the EU institutions’ permanent Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-EU) and the European Defence Agency (EDA) - met today 8 December in Athens at the ENISA premises to discuss future cooperative opportunities in the field of cyber security and defence. 

The aim is to enhance synergies and avoid duplication between the four agencies as well as to discuss ways of establishing an enhanced and structured cooperation built around identified areas of cooperation. They include, among others: cyber security & defence education, training and exercises; building synergies in the area of technology development including research with dual use characteristics as well as testing of demonstrators/prototypes; common standardisation and certification; incident cooperation; or strategic and administrative matters. 
 
“Cyber threats are transnational by nature, and so has to be our response to them. EU institutions, agencies and bodies need to think cross-sectoral and join forces where appropriate in order to anticipate the security challenges and adapt to Member States’ expectations. And nowhere does this better apply than in the cyber domain”, Jorge Domecq, the EDA’s Chief Executive, stated at the meeting.

• EDA supports Operation Sophia with Cyber Awareness Seminars (webnews November 2016)
• Cyber Defence (EDA project page)
• Cyber defence factsheet

The EU and NATO Councils yesterday took EU-NATO cooperation to a new level by endorsing a new set of common proposals on the implementation of the June 2016 Joint Declaration.

In addition, a joint progress report was presented to the respective Councils by the HRVP and Head of the European Defence Agency Federica Mogherini and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg demonstrating the good progress made on the implementation of the existing 42 proposals endorsed in December 2016. These will be complemented by 31 new proposals, covering new topics such as counter-terrorism, women, peace and security and military mobility. The next progress report is planned for June 2018.

The EDA actively contributes to the implementation of the June 2016 Joint Declaration in areas such as capability development, cyber defence, hybrid, defence industry/research and exercises, and is expected to play a central role on the implementation of the new proposals, including on military mobility, on the basis of the agreed principles on the implementation of the 2016 Joint Declaration.
 

• Remarks by HR/VP and Head of the EDA, Federica Mogherini, at the joint press conference with Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO
• Read the Council Conclusions

A two-day conference co-organised by the European Defence Agency (EDA) and the Italian Air Force devoted to “Personnel Recovery: Risks & Mitigations” was opened this Monday 4 December at the Istituto di Scienze Militari Aeronautiche (ISMA) in Florence, Italy, with the aim of increasing awareness about the importance of having appropriate Personnel Recovery (PR) planning and implementation capabilities in military operations or missions.

The conference brings together more than 70 participants from EU Member States, the European Union Military Staff (EUMS), the European Personnel Recovery Centre (EPRC), NATO, the Integrated Coalition Personnel Recovery Capability (ICPRC) project as well as representatives from the US and New Zealand.

Opened by the Commander of the Italian Air Operations Command, General Antonio Conserva, the conference will examine all aspects of Personnel Recovery with a particular focus on the challenges and risks involved in the planning and implementation of this crucial task. Participants will also discuss best practices and ways to improve PR in the future.

In his keynote speech, Rini Goos, the EDA’s Deputy Chief Executive, expressed his confidence that “this conference will help to raise awareness on the importance of Personnel Recovery planning and implementation for saving lives”. The aim of the Agency’s efforts in this domain is to “reassure both our deployed personnel and their relatives back home that safety is our prime concern and that we will do everything we can to ensure that during a mission, no one will be left behind”, Mr Goos recalled that “the EDA is engaged in this effort since 2007 when it established the Project Team Personnel Recovery”.
 

The isolation, capture and exploitation of personnel during Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) operations and missions can have a significant adverse impact on operational security, the morale of personnel and public support. The EU therefore attaches a lot of importance to the release, recovery and reintegration of personnel by employing all possible diplomatic, military and civilian tools. Since the establishment of EDA’s Project Team Personnel Recovery (PT PR) in 2007, the Agency has been working with participating Member States and partners to address identified shortfalls over the full spectrum of PR, from the cultural and conceptual context to training aspects, and to the development of advanced technologies and tools.
 

• Speech by EDA Deputy Chief Executive Rini Goos
• EDA Personnel Recovery team celebrates 10th anniversary
• Personnel Recovery: A strong safety net for deployed personnel
• EDA’s Joint Personnel Recovery Staff Course hosted for the first time by ItalyPRCPC hosted in Italy
• Factsheet: PR FAS ATD - a Command and Control Tool for Personnel Recovery
• Factsheet: SERE e-learning tool for Personnel Recovery
  
  

Providing a security net for deployed troops, personnel recovery (PR) capabilities are nowadays integral part of any military or crisis management operation under the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). The European Defence Agency (EDA) is engaged in this field since 2013 when it launched the Personnel Recovery Controller and Planner Course (PRCPC) project. Within this overarching framework the Agency has organised another Personnel Recovery Staff Course (JPRSC), already the 13th since 2013, from 15-24 November at the European Personnel Recovery Centre (EPRC) at Poggio Renatico Air Base, Italy.

Some 20 students from seven countries (Belgium, Cyprus, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Norway) attended the course led by instructors from Germany, Italy, Sweden and the EPRC. The main focus was on training officers who will have to support their commanders on personnel recovery related issues. The courses are designed for staff in tactical operation centres (TOCs), personnel recovery coordination cells (PRCCs) and joint personnel recovery cells (JPRCs). The next Personnel Recovery Controller and Planner Course will take place in Karlsborg, Sweden, from 12-22 March 2018 and will be organised in cooperation with the Swedish Armed Forces.
 

The EDA PRCPC project was established on 30 May 2013 as an EDA Category B project under the lead of Sweden. As of today, it includes eight contributing Member States (Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Germany, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands and Sweden). The course cycle has been extended three times and will be finalised on 30 May 2019.

The European Personnel Recovery Centre (EPRC) based at Poggio Renatico Air Base, Italy, closely cooperates with the EDA. It was created on 8 July 2015 by seven nations (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom) with the aim of improving the four phases of personnel recovery (preparation, planning, execution, adaptation) by developing and harmonising common PR policies and standards and providing support for education, training, exercises and operations.
 

• Personnel Recovery - EDA project page 

50 helicopter tactics specialists from twelve EDA participating Member States, as well as representatives of the Helicopter Tactics Instructors Course (HTIC), the Joint Air Power Competence Centre (JAPCC), the Multinational Aviation Training Centre (MATC) and the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) met recently in Rijen, the Netherlands, for the 8th Helicopter Tactics Symposium, organised under the EDA’s Helicopter Exercise Programme (HEP).

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 new training opportunities under the HEP programme.

A central part of the symposium was devoted to drawing the tactical lessons from recent EDA helicopter exercises, such as ‘Black Blade 16’ (held at Florennes Air Base, Belgium, in November 2016) and ‘Fire Blade 17’ at Papa Airbase in Hungary (May 2017). Other lessons learnt sessions covered examples of counter surface-to-air fire tactics, urban operations, a recent Slovenian MEDEVAC operation, a Czech helicopter door gunner pre-deployment training and the introduction of special operation forces’ helicopters in Germany.

Symposium attendees also received a detailed presentation on the Dutch helicopter aviation training system and discussed various topics related to helicopter techniques, tactics and procedures, including combined tactical operations in which transport helicopters are escorted by attack helicopters during missions abroad. The debate resulted in new concrete proposals for updating the HEP Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), the capstone tactics manual for multinational helicopter operations.

Looking ahead, symposium participants were briefed on upcoming HEP exercises, including Hot Blade 2018 (to be held in Portugal) which will focus on helicopter Composite Air Operations (COMAO) missions in hot, high-altitude and dusty conditions with trooping, live firing and MEDEVAC flights. In 2019, the annual HEP exercise will take place in the Czech Republic under the label ‘Dark Blade’.
 

• Helicopter Initiatives (EDA project page)
  
  

The “SPACE NOSTRUM - High Performance Dual Satellite Constellation for Maritime Surveillance” study was awarded European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF), accessing the highest co-funding rate (50%) available in that region.

This funding supports a broad space system R&T project, with up to 20 satellites aimed at fighting terrorism and smuggling among others. Its economic impact could include the development of entire new technical sector and hundreds of high-value jobs.

This ESIF-funded half-million euro study was initially identified by the French DGA and selected by the EDA to receive tailored technical assistance to access ESIF.
Thales Alenia Space France leads the project consortium with 4 other companies and 2 defence-related clusters.

The award demonstrates that significant defence and security projects initiated by large companies in LOI countries are also eligible for ESIF. It clearly underlines the importance of the EDA’s role, explicitly featured in the project application.
Previous successful EDA-supported R&T projects had already demonstrated eligibility for SMEs in several EU countries. It is now clear that ESIF can fund the entire spectrum of defence stakeholders.

SPACE NOSTRUM delivers on the EU Global Strategy and its Implementation Plan for Defence as well as the EU Maritime Security Strategy. It will be relevant for the defence naval environment and for defence-related radars.

By building on successful pilot projects, the EDA is in the process of developing a specific methodology identifying a spectrum of EU funding sources for both the European Defence Overarching Strategic Research Agenda (OSRA) and Key Strategic Activities (KSA).

• Contact EDA
• ESIF success stories in defence
• EDA’s summary table on EU funding opportunities for defence-related stakeholders
• EDA’s “ESIF web-platform”
• EDA’s work supporting access to EU funding

The European Defence Agency (EDA) Maritime Security Conference under the auspices of the Estonian Presidency of the European Council  and in cooperation with the Hellenic Defence General Staff was organised at the Nato Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Center in Crete on 16 November.

The theme of the conference was ‘’The importance of an innovative approach for Maritime Security’’, and in this regard opportunities were exploited to discuss issues related to the broad strategic policy levers for maritime security, the importance of an innovative approach for technology, in particular unmanned systems, and to address  pertinent challenges to maritime domain awareness.

The Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff Admiral E. Apostolakis GRC (N) and the Deputy Chief Executive of EDA Mr. Rini Goos opened the conference with keynote address. In his speech, Mr. Goos highlighted the importance of the maritime domain to Europe's stability and security.

In three panel discussions a good mix of subject matter experts from the private sector, political sphere and public services exchanged on the future challenges for navies, coast guards and other civil services.

The conference was attended by around 100 participants from EU nations, International Organisations, the international academic community, as well as representatives from the defence industry.

• Project page CapTech Maritime
• Project page Marsur
• Factsheet Maritime Domain 

The latest European Defence Matters magazine is now available with a special focus on the 10 probably most disruptive defence innovations to come.

NEW: the magazine is now also available ONLINE in a user-friendly, state of the art responsive lay-out and accessible via all your devices: smartphone, tablet or desktop! Check it out HERE

Strategic foresight is a necessity, not a luxury. European defence planers in governments, EU institutions and industry must thus anticipate technological developments and integrate them into their long-term capability planning.

As the European hub for intergovernmental defence capability planning, prioritization and development, and with the unparalleled expertise stemming from its Capability Technology Groups (CAPTECHS) and network of defence Research and Technology (R&T) experts from Member States, the European Defence Agency (EDA) is in a privileged position to look out for what comes next.

In this new issue of European Defence Matters, we single out and analyse 10 disruptive innovations and technological trends which EDA experts deem likely to have the biggest impact on defence and subsequently on military capabilities in the next 5 to 20 years. Several of them are cyber-related as cyber is set to feature centre stage in Europe’s future defence capability landscape, as it was also highlighted at this week’s EDA Annual Conference 2017 which had cyber as its topic.

Other topics in this 14th issue of European Defence Matters include ‘Industry Talk’ in which we speak to Airbus Defence & Space CEO Dirk Hoke about his organisation’s innovation priorities, upcoming multinational defence programmes, the European Defence Fund and the future of European defence industrial cooperation. We also sat down with Estonia’s Minister of Defence, Jüri Luik, to discuss the results of EU CYBRID 2017, the first ever cyber defence table-top exercise with ministers jointly organised by the Estonian EU Presidency and the EDA in Tallinn in early September, and to hear his views about recent initiatives to boost European defence cooperation. The European MALE RPAS project, ongoing preparations for the Coordinated Annual Review of Defence (CARD), the EDA’s Main Battle Tank (MBT) project and the recent opening of the European Tactical Airlift Centre (ETAC) in Zaragoza also feature in this issue.

The new ONLINE format of European Defence Matters makes your reading experience even more comfortable:

• in addition to the print version, the online version occasionally offers expanded articles and supplementary pictures
• articles and pictures can be shared instantly via Twitter, LinkedIn and Email
• the magazine’s ‘Explore’ section allows you to easily access the European Defence Matters archive and revisit articles of previous editions
• by joining us via www.eda.europa.eu/webzine, you will have access to the latest issue and the possibility to navigate through the previous editions by using the ‘Explore’ function.

• European Defence Matters 14 (webzine)

EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq  on November 23rd closed the Agency’s Annual Conference 2017 with a call to use the EU’s new defence tools and the EDA’s full potential to enhance cyber cooperation and help Member States’ armed forces to plan, develop, acquire and use the required cyber defence capabilities.

In his final remarks wrapping up the conference, Mr Domecq thanked all the speakers for their contributions: Federica Mogherini, Head of the Agency; Julian King, EU Commissioner in charge of the Security Union; Kersti Kaljulaid, President of Estonia; Mikko Hypponen, Chief Research Officer of F-Secure. He also expressed gratitude to the members of the two panels who shared their expertise and assessments and sparked lively discussions with the audience.
 

Mr Domceq singled out several key takeaways from this year’s conference, in particular:

• Cyber threats affect all military capabilities. It’s therefore essential to strengthen the cyber resilience elements in the development of all future platforms & systems, across land, air, maritime or space domains;
• Armed forces need to learn their lessons from previous incidents more rapidly and efficiently so as to be able to better prevent, detect and respond to future attacks;
• Europe is stronger if it tackles cyber threats together, in a common and coordinated approach encompassing the full military dimension of cyber defence;
• Member States need to better coordinate their cyber strategies to avoid fragmentation, to ensure and improve interoperability, and to protect special requirements of the military;
• Strategies and policies are essential but what really matters at the end of the day are the capabilities in place to counter cyberattacks. The most effective way for Member States’ armed forces to identify, plan, develop, procure and eventually use these capabilities is by doing it together;
• New EU defence cooperation tools such as the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD), the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) and the European Defence Fund (EDF) are now in place. They need to be used in the best possible way;
• PESCO, in particular, could be a game changer for defence and offer a welcome cooperation framework for Member States to take forward priority projects, including on cyber;
• The European Defence Fund, for its part, will offer new funding opportunities for cooperative projects. Specifically, at the upstream R&T level, it could support the development of cyber defence technologies identified in the future Overarching Strategic Research Agenda (OSRA) and of related Technology Building Blocks;
• The European Commission’s new Cyber Package, if properly implemented, can contribute to increased security in the Fifth Domain provided that duplication is avoided and that the specificities of the military dimension are fully taken on board;
• Continuous engagement with other parties such as NATO is paramount to ensure continued coherence of output;
• Dialogue with industry is equally important to secure the required future capabilities and the appropriate degree of strategic autonomy.

As far as the EDA’s cyber work is concerned, “2018 will see the topic stay centre stage in the Agency’s work plan”, with a particular focus on three main activities.

Firstly, the Capability Development Plan (CDP) revision in spring is expected to include new cyber defence needs and priorities some of which were already flagged during the 2016 EDA Table Top Exercise on hybrid threats.

Secondly, the Agency looks forward to seeing the Initial Operational Capability of the CSDP Cyber Training & Exercise Platform next year in close cooperation with the European Security & Defence College. The project on pooling demand for cyber defence training and exercise support by the private sector should also reach its conclusion.

And thirdly, on facilitating the interface with wider EU policies, the EDA will continue its work on the implementation of the Cyber Defence Policy Framework.

The Agency is also considering setting up a dedicated Capability Technology Group (or Cap Tech) on cyber defence. In all of these activities, “engagement with industry will be of central importance to enable our Member States to develop the capabilities they need to stay ahead in tomorrow’s cyberspace”, Mr Domecq stressed.

“Our work to improve Europe’s cybersecurity and cyber defence is still in its initial phases. We must lose no time in embracing this golden opportunity to both plan and implement the next steps together. Only in doing so will we ensure that the advent of the digital era remains an opportunity for European citizens in the 21st century”, the EDA Chief Executive concluded.
 

• Jorge Domecq closing speech EDA Annual Conference 2017
• Federica Mogherini opens Annual Conference at “most important moment for EU defence in décades”
• Remarks by High-Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini at the 2017 Annual Conference of the European Defence Agency
• Estonian President Kaljulaid: EU needs shared cyber expertise and joint exercise at strategic level
• Annual conference delivers insights on future of cyber defence
  

In addition to the four keynote speeches delivered by Federica Mogherini (Head of the EDA), Julian King (EU Commissioner for the Security Union), Kersti Kaljulaid (President of Estonia) and Mikko Hypponen (Chief Research Officer, F-Secure), participants at this year’s EDA Annual Conference witnessed two lively and interactive panel debates on cyber as a ‘persistent strategic challenge’ and enhanced cooperation in Europe and beyond, and on how to tackle growing cyber threats.

High-level panellists in the first roundtable were General Riho Terras (Commander of Estonia’s Defence Forces), Dirk Hoke (Airbus Defence and Space CEO), Lieutenant General Ludwig Leinhos (Commander of the German Cyber and Information Space Command), Kevin Scheid (NATO NCIA General Manager), Neil Cassidy (Rolls Royce VP Director Cyber Security, Risk & Compliance) and Fabrice Clement (Proximus Director Security Governance & Investigations).

The panel discussed a number of key questions such as ‘How far do EU Member States share cyber-threat assessments?’, ‘How are national governments tailoring their responses and increasing their preparedness levels?’, or ‘How should European institutions support Member States in their efforts to navigate the myriad initiatives linked to cybersecurity and cyber defence?’.

Better information sharing and enhanced cyber defence cooperation are indispensable, not only between EU member States but also between the EU and NAT. Speakers also pointed to the need to avoid duplication of efforts and to increase cooperation with industry for delivery of the required technological solutions to counter growing cyber threats. The importance of cyber education and training was highlighted, as was the serious problem of finding and recruiting skilled cyber experts in Europe today, set to worsen in the future.
 

The afternoon panel discussion saw high-profile speakers discuss potential technological solutions, how industry is adapting to provide such technologies, and what the EU and NATO can do to support this process. Questions raised ranged from ‘How should Member States’ defence procurement models adapt to the fact that most of the available cyber defence technology today is dual-use?’, ‘How far are civilians and the military cooperating and exchanging best practises to avoid duplication and promote excellence?’ or ‘Where should the EDA focus its efforts to support EU Member States when it comes to cyber?’.

The four high-level panellists were: Annegret Bendiek (Senior Associate Europe Research at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, SWP), Jakub Boratynski, (Head of Unit for Cybersecurity and Digital Privacy, DG Connect, European Commission), Rogier Holla (Deputy Head of the EU Computer Emergency Response Team, CERT-EU), Merle Maigre (NATO CCD COE Director) and George Sharkov (the National Cybersecurity Coordinator & Adviser to the Prime Minister of Bulgaria).

The speakers touched on the importance of research and innovation in the civilian and military sides of cyber, on international norms in cyber warfare, the Tallinn Manual, and failed UN attempts to regulate and on the protection of critical infrastructure. All agreed on the urgent need to update existing SCADA systems to adapt to the current threat landscape.
 

• Federica Mogherini opens Annual Conference at “most important moment for EU defence in décades”
• Remarks by High-Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini at the 2017 Annual Conference of the European Defence Agency
• Estonian President Kaljulaid: EU needs shared cyber expertise and joint exercise at strategic level
• 2017 Annual Conference closes with call to step up cyber defence cooperation
• Jorge Domecq closing speech EDA Annual Conference 2017

In her keynote speech delivered at the EDA's Annual Conference 2017, Kersti Kaljulaid, the President of Estonia, urged EU Member States to step up cybersecurity awareness building, including in the military domain, “by learning from each other and sharing best practices”.

The Estonian EU Presidency led by example last September when, in cooperation with the European Defence Agency, it organised ‘EU CYBRID 2017’, a strategic table-top cyber defence exercise which for the first time ever involved EU defence ministers, the European External Action Service (EEAS), the European Commission, cyber-related EU agencies as well as NATO’s Secretary General.

“Among many other valuable lessons, EU CYBRID 2017 showed that although political decision makers would in case of a cyberattack be the first to react and make decisions, their understanding, knowledge and awareness of the nature of cyber incidents still leaves much to be desired”, the President said. “This shows that exercises like EU CYBRID 2017 have to be conducted regularly both on the Member State and EU level”, Mrs Kaljulaid added.

Since the cyber domain evolves constantly, joint cyber exercises need to involve the higher political (ministerial) level because some aspects of cyber defence are “politically sensitive”, such as the attribution of attacks. “A technical point at first glance, but a political decision at the end of the day” which also impacts the choice between offensive and defensive responses. While there is no doubt that these questions are for Member States to decide, “they need not only to be discussed but also exercised at strategic level”, she said.

The Estonian President welcomed last Monday’s EU Council conclusions on cyber which, along with the European Commission’s cyber package, should give “new impetus to cyber security issues for the years to come”.

In this context the EDA, too, has an important role to play: “I do believe strongly that in this situation the European Defence Agency should continue with the successful projects it has conducted so far and which complement the projects of the Commission without unnecessary duplication. For example, I believe that EDA should concentrate its efforts on education, training and strategic level exercises, because those are the fields – whether we like it or not – where the Member States have probably the biggest shortfalls and at the same time willingness to do more cooperation at the European level”.

"We must also think about how the EDA’s cyber activities would contribute to the European Defence Industrial Development Programme and the Permanent Structured Cooperation, and vice versa”, Mrs Kaljulaid added.

• Federica Mogherini opens Annual Conference at “most important moment for EU defence in décades”
• Remarks by High-Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini at the 2017 Annual Conference of the European Defence Agency
• Annual conference delivers insights on future of cyber defence
• 2017 Annual Conference closes with call to step up cyber defence cooperation
• Jorge Domecq closing speech EDA Annual Conference 2017

The European Defence Agency (EDA) Annual Conference 2017 entitled 'Security in the digital age: the added value of European cooperation’ was opened Thursday morning (23 November) in Brussels by the 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 - Mrs Mogherini said the conference was taking place “at the most important moment for European defence in decades” with bold new initiatives such as the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD), the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) and the European Defence Fund (EDF) creating an unprecedented momentum for enhanced cooperation.

“Today, we are building a European Union of security and defence. It' not a plan, not a dream anymore, but a reality (...) All the building blocks of a security and defence union are finally there”, she stated. This means that Member States can now project and develop their defence capabilities together: “We can buy together, to ensure that we have all the capabilities we need while also spending efficiently. And we can act together, much better than before, to manage or prevent crises, to strengthen our partners, to make our citizens more secure”. Acting together is a necessity “because today’s security challenges are too big for any of our Member States alone. Everyone understands this today. Our citizens are asking for more security and more efficient budgets, and the two are only possible if we join forces”, Mrs Mogherini stressed.
 

“The Council, the Commission and the European Defence Agency have all played their part in shaping the path towards a European Union of security and defence”, she went on. The EDA was a “leading force” in defining the recent ‘defence package’ and, as far as PESCO is concerned, is already helping Member States assess the value of their projects for cooperation. “This will be central to the success of PESCO”, the Head of the Agency stressed.

The ambition is to move towards a European security and defence union, not re-open the debate on a European army. “But in a way, we are doing something that is much more ambitious. We already have European missions and operations - 15 of them so far - and we have created a single command centre for our training and advisory missions. We are now working to build a truly European defence industry, a truly European defence market, and a truly European defence research which are the basis for a truly European defence. European military trainings are a concrete option. And the possibilities of PESCO are immense”, she stated. The CARD and the European Defence Fund (EDF) are also key instruments in which the EDA has "great expertise, a huge potential - which also means huge responsibilities - to support Member States and the Commission in their decisions".
 

Turning to the conference topic, Mrs Mogherini said cyber was a defence domain where close cooperation was more indispensable than ever. “Cyber threats require a response that is both civilian and military. To protect our cyberspace, we will need more research, better capabilities, more training and exercises, in constant coordination with our partners”.

Promising new cyber initiatives recently saw the light - such as the setting up of a Hybrid Fusion Cell within the External Action Service, the inauguration of the European Centre for Countering Hybrid Threats in Helsinki, the first ever European strategic cybersecurity table-top exercise ‘CYBRID’ co-organised last September by the Estonian Presidency of the EU Council and the EDA, and last year's EU-NATO Joint Declaration which also covers cybersecurity - but more needs to be done: “We have to explore the full range of possibilities that we have built over the last couple of years with the Commission, Member States, the External Action Service and the European Defence Agency”.
 

With the new tools (CARD, PESCO, EDF) in place, EU defence cooperation has reached a level that was unimaginable not only 60 years ago but even just six months ago, Mrs Mogherini said. “A new exciting journey has just started. Everyone will have to play it role, starting of course from us, from the European Defence Agency and the External Action Service. We will have to find new ways of working together across the institutions – knowing that this is for the entire Union, for each of our citizens, and for a more peaceful and secure world”.
 

• Remarks by High-Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini at the 2017 Annual Conference of the European Defence Agency
• Estonian President Kaljulaid: EU needs shared cyber expertise and joint exercise at strategic level
• Annual conference delivers insights on future of cyber defence
• 2017 Annual Conference closes with call to step up cyber defence cooperation
• Jorge Domecq closing speech EDA Annual Conference 2017
  

The European Defence Agency’s second Helicopter Composite Air Operations (COMAO) planning course was successfully completed last week at RAF airbase Linton-on-Ouse, United Kingdom. The course is part of the EDA’s multifaceted helicopter training activities which aim to provide Member States with a framework to develop, consolidate and share best practices in order to meet the challenges of flying helicopters in a modern operational environment.

Sixteen trainees from Belgium, Sweden, Germany, Hungary, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and the UK took part in the second COMAO course, the objective of which was to increase interoperability and the common understanding of complex mission planning in a multinational environment. The course involved support and attack helicopters but also fast-jet, intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) as well as air transport and ground force units.

The course started with a theoretical part, including detailed briefs on COMAO, 4Ts (Task, Target, Threat and Tactics) mission planning as well as standard rotary tactics employed to counter a range of different threats. Participants also examined the Tactics Techniques and Procedures (TTPs) of the attack helicopters and fast-jet capabilities in both the Blue and Red Air role delivered by 100 Sqn RAF.

The second part of the course was devoted to the practical mission planning for a multinational joint helicopter force (and its support assets) which had to operate in a given and constantly evolving political and military scenario. As the course went by and the complexity of the missions increased, trainees became increasingly familiar with the planning processes and the crews’ performances improved considerably, even under worsening mission conditions and mounting time pressure.

The course level was gradually elevated to a point where the individual trainees had to prepare their missions on their own. The findings of the lessons learnt session which concluded the course will be used for preparing the next EDA COMAO planning course scheduled for 2018.

• Helicopter Initiatives (EDA project page)