EDA News

EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq welcomed a delegation of the foreign affairs committee of the Parliament of Finland in the EDA premises on 28 January.

The delegation members were interested to receive information on European defence matters, current EDA priorities as well as future plans. Mr Domecq also highlighted the importance of the forthcoming EU Global Strategy as well as the European Defence Action Plan. The committee members furthermore received updates on the Agency’s cooperation with the European Commission regarding the Preparatory Action for CSDP-related research as well as on EDA's initiatives in cooperation with the Member States on Security of Supply. At the end of the Meeting the Members of the Parliament reaffirmed Finland's support to the Agency.

In the framework of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), the European Defence Agency (EDA) supports EU-led military operations and missions offering a wide scope of services, ranging from managing contracts for satellite communication, through training in cyber defence, ending up with providing HR management software to operational commands. Especially developing a model of ready-to-use framework contracts will give the EDA the possibility to broaden its service to more comprehensively support the establishment and running of CSDP operations and missions. 

Introduction

Support to CSDP Operations is one of the key task for the European Defence Agency, which was highlighted in the recent revision of the statute, seat and operational rules of the Agency. “We are proud to support EU-led military operations: to see our projects being used and to know that our expertise is being appreciated. Continuous service is what makes the Agency valid,” says Jorge Domecq, the EDA Chief Executive. 

The EDA offers its existing projects as well as ready-to-use contracted solutions that will replicate the successful framework contract model for satellite communications. Consequently, the EDA support to operations is cost-effective and efficient, as it does not generate any additional costs for the Member States or the Agency. 

The range of EDA services to support CSDP operations

In more detail, the EDA delivered a Human Resources management software for Headquarters (J1FAS) to the EU military operation in the Central African Republic in 2014. Commander Paschalis Gkounidis, the HQ Assistant Chief of Staff for Human Resources said that “the installation of this new system represents a big step forward in managing our personnel and will provide useful lessons for the improvement of the system in the future.” A similar support is also provided for the operational command of the military operation in the Southern Central Mediterranean (Operation Sophia).

Additionally, the EDA conducted cyber awareness training events in Larissa and Rome Operational Headquarters for the operations in the Central African Republic and in Southern Central Mediterranean respectively. In the case of Operation Sophia, the EDA also offered the MARSUR networking system, which may contribute to increasing the maritime situational awareness. 

Following several successful test cases, e.g. contracting Air-to-Ground Surveillance Services for the EU military operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR Althea) in 2014, the EDA signed an arrangement with the Athena Mechanism (February 2015) to facilitate ad-hoc support for contracting for CSDP operations. Under this arrangement, the Agency has already supported the EU training mission in Mali for procurement of medical equipment as well as the EUFOR Althea for benchmarking current camp management services.

The signature of the arrangement also provided a new impetus for the usage of the already existing EDA Contractor Support to Operations (CSO) platform as a powerful tool for interaction between economic operators and EU-led operations. The platform has successfully been used to assist in fulfilling tailored needs for the EU training missions in Mali and Somalia. 

With the Athena Mechanism having joined the EU SatCom Market project in June 2015, the cooperation has gone one step further. CSDP operations and missions can now rely on a ready pre-mission contracted solution for satellite communication. The EDA framework contracts offer high quality service with less administrative burden. The EU training mission in Somalia has successfully been using such solution since October 2015 for Fixed Satellite Services. “Thanks to the excellent cooperation between the EUTM J6 team, the EDA and the contractor, EUTM Somalia benefits from a reliable and secure connection with Europe for its Command and Control chain,” said Brigadier General Antonio Maggi, the Operation Commander. The EU Training Mission in Mali is also relying now on the EU SatCom Market for Mobile Satellite Services.

Potential projects in the future 

“I have no doubts that our support to CSDP operations will increase in the future, and will provide more opportunities to deliver civil-military synergies in the contractor support context,” says Jorge Domecq. The EDA, together with the Athena Mechanism and EU Military Staff, is currently exploring possibilities to implement additional ready-to-use solutions for other services, to include medical services with helicopter medevac as the first priority, infrastructure and camp management as well as strategic transportation services. The overall aim is to provide comprehensive contracted support covering all major areas pertaining to operations: from deployment and redeployment of troops, through the establishment and maintenance of camps, satellite communications services to end up with medical service.

There is also a number of EDA-led projects which be might relevant for CSDP operations as they mature in the future. The list includes: smart energy camps to manage renewable energies, Countering Improvised Explosive Devices (C-IED) awareness and training, cyber situational awareness packages for headquarters to enhance cyber defence planning, a platform to share and analyse geospatial information (GISMO 2), a C-IED joint deployable exploitation analysis laboratory, and an electronic on-line gov-to-gov market platform eQuip to sell or transfer surplus defence equipment. 

More information

• Project page on Operations Support 
• Brochure on Contractor Support to Operations (CSO) platform
• News "JDEAL deployable capability: final trainings before delivery" (24 November 2015)
• News "EDA provides satellite communications services for EUTM Somalia" (13 October 2015)
• News "EDA installs energy management equipment at EUTM Mali camp" (13 October 2015) 
• News "EDA supports EUTM Mali to enhance medical facilities" (8 September 2015)

Jorge Domecq, Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency and Ine Eriksen Søreide, Norwegian Minister of Defence met today for discussions on Norway’s involvement in EDA projects as well as ways to further enhance defence cooperation.

“I am very pleased to welcome the Chief Executive of EDA to Norway”, said Defence Minister Eriksen Søreide. “EDA is an important partner for Norway in the development of our Armed Forces. Although a non-member of the EU, Norway has a strong interest in maintaining European security and prosperity. European cooperation is vital to bolster European defence capabilities and in strengthening European allies’ contribution to the wider trans-Atlantic defence and security community”, said the Minister. 

“Norway is actively engaged in European as well as regional defence cooperation. This is not only of benefit for Europe but also for the Norwegian armed forces and defence industry. Today’s discussions concentrated on future projects. At the Agency, we see Norway’s strong support to the Agency’s air-to-air refuelling programme as well as to our research and technology initiatives with a focus on maritime capabilities and to counter chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats”, said Jorge Domecq.

Not being a member of the European Union, Norway signed an Administrative Arrangement with the Agency in 2006. Norway regularly participates in EDA projects and programmes such as helicopter exercises and other flying events, the air-to-air refuelling programme and the Joint Deployable Exploitation and Analysis Laboratory. Additionally, since 2006 Norway has contributed more than € 30 million to EDA’s research and technology initiatives.

More information:

• Administrative arrangements with non-EU members
• Norwegian Ministry of Defence

More than 80 experts from national administrations participate in the first plenary session of the Consultation Forum for Sustainable Energy in the Defence and Security Sector. Opened today by EU Commissioner for Energy and Climate Action Miguel Arias Cañete, EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq and European Commission's Director-General for Energy Dominique Ristori, the Consultation Forum will examine how energy efficiency measures and renewable energy sources could be better used and implemented within the European defence sector. The consultation will take place through a series of meetings between experts from national administrations, armed forces, industry and academia. 

"Some of the world’s most efficient militaries are progressively replacing expensive fossil fuels with power generated by solar panels, wind turbines and rechargeable batteries. This is not only about more reliable on-site energy generation. It's also about making it safer and cheaper for troops to complete their missions", said Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete.

“Sustainable energy use starts at home. This is true for individuals as well as for the armed forces. The energy bill for Europe’s armed forces amounts to billions of euros. The EU legislation in place for energy efficiency, renewable energy and energy performance in buildings can certainly improve the armed forces’ energy output. Ultimately this will not only benefit their environmental footprint but will also result in considerable savings”, said Jorge Domecq during the opening of the first plenary session. 

 

Consultation Forum

The Consultation Forum for Sustainable Energy in the Defence and Security Sector is a European Commission initiative managed by the EDA. It brings together experts from the defence and energy sectors to share information and best practice on improving energy management, efficiency and the use of renewable energy in the civil uses of the military. The focus will be on facilitating the sharing of good practice and expertise by assessing the existing EU energy legislation, in particular the Energy Efficiency Directive, the Energy Performance in Buildings Directive and the Renewable Energy Directive in order to see how different measures could be implemented in the defence sector thus contributing to on-going decarbonisation efforts.The Forum will also be a place to stimulate projects in key areas as well as identifying possible funding streams. Depending on the findings, the Forum might also develop recommendations on how to further develop directives or amending policy in relation to European funding mechanisms for defence.

The Consultation Forum will take place in a series of five plenary meetings over two years. The work will be carried out in three parallel working groups each with a particular focus: (1) Energy management, (2) Energy efficiency & 3) Renewable energy.

Energy and the military

Defence is one of the largest energy consumers in Europe. One of the key challenges is to quantify the extent of this energy usage and to assess how projects stimulated through this Consultation Forum can impact on overall EU energy usage.

More information:

• Consultation Forum for Sustainable Energy in the Defence and Security Sectorwebsite 
• Consultation Forum for Sustainable Energy in the Defence and Security Sector factsheet
• European Commission, Directorate-General for Energy
• EDA Energy & Environment Programme

Background: EDA Energy & Environment Programme

The Agency pursues a comprehensive approach to energy management which is part of its wider Energy and Environment Programme. The programme also aims to identify fully integrated solutions where both energy reduction and environmental impact are assessed together. The EDA Energy and Environment Working Group was established in June 2014 and has so far worked on a number of projects including the Strategic Research Agenda, a Demand Management (Smart Camp) Technical Demonstrator which has recently been deployed to Mali and Power Purchase Agreements (Go Green). A new project addressing water and energy use in military barracks, called “Smart Blue Water Camps” is due to start in 2016.

 

 

Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain and Germany as the lead nation have initiated a new project under the auspices of the European Defence Agency (EDA) the aim of which is to investigate opportunities and challenges of lightweight constructions for Armoured Multi-Purpose Vehicles (the L-AMPV project).

Governmental experts from participating Member States and ten industrial and research entities involved in the project execution (coordinator KMW, Airborne, Camattini Meccanica, CEIIA, IABG, IVECO, Scania Netherland, Tecnalia, TNO and UROVESA) convened for a kick off meeting held at the European Defence Agency on 16 December 2015. 

The L-AMPV project is addressing a problem identified by military users referring to Armoured Multi-Purpose Vehicles currently in-service being far too heavy; this reduces off-road mobility and/or leaves insufficient room for additional equipment or protection enhancements. 

Consequently, the project aims at (i) delivering detailed information (material, weight, size and price) of vehicle components/parts currently used; (ii) determining the items which contribute most weight and (iii) recommending how to reduce the weight of these parts taking into account the need for the solution to last throughout the life-cycle of the system.

The overall objective of this Research and Technology (R&T) project is firstly to investigate opportunities and challenges of lightweight constructions for Armoured Multi-Purpose Vehicles, including new construction techniques for the vehicle parts, in order to define a proposal for a technology demonstrator, which could be the basis for a follow-on project.

 

 

On 16 December 2015, Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency (EDA) Jorge Domecq and Director of the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) Tim Rowntree signed a revised guidance document defining the terms of cooperation between the EDA and the Executive Administration (EA) of OCCAR as well as between the EDA and OCCAR Member States.

Compared to the Interface Document on EDA-OCCAR relations formulated in 2013, the new publication develops concepts of cooperation in a more detailed and pragmatic manner. Referring to the Policy Framework for Systematic and Long-Term Defence Cooperation, the two organisations will introduce greater synergies in terms of project or programme management. New areas described in the document include different models of how EDA cooperative projects can be taken forward by relying on the OCCAR-EA cooperative programme management expertise as well as how OCCAR programme activities could be entrusted to the EDA. In addition, the Interface Document describes how, within the frame of an existing OCCAR managed programme, OCCAR may benefit from EDA tools, services and expertise.

More information: 

• OCCAR website
• News "EDA signs Security Arrangement with OCCAR" (9 December 2014)

 

Hungary hosted the sixth Helicopter Tactics Symposium of the European Defence Agency (EDA) Helicopter Exercise Programme (HEP). Held in Budapest on 7-9 December 2015, the event continues to be a major venue for European helicopter crews to discuss and share experience in helicopter tactical procedures. 

Over sixty helicopter tactics instructors and experts coming from ten countries, as well as representatives of the Helicopter Tactics Course (HTC), Helicopter Tactics Instructor Course (HTIC), Joint Air Power Competence Centre (JAPCC), and NATO Special Operations Headquarters (NSHQ), gathered at this annual HEP event to bring the common tactical knowledge base up-to-date.

Briefings and discussions covered the latest tactical lessons from the helicopter operations in Iraq, Syria, Mali and Afghanistan. The panel discussions, divided between attack and support helicopter operators and planners, brought an insight to the latest developments in night vision goggles (NVG) training, Electronic Warfare (EW), tactics used to land on different types of landing zones, use of sensors and technologies applied in Degraded Visual Environment (DVE) and helicopter self-defence aids used by the Member States. Reflecting on several comments coming out of discussions, new proposals to update the HEP Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), the capstone tactics manual for multinational helicopter operations, were submitted.

The aims and objectives of the upcoming HEP exercises were briefed in detail, including Cold Blade 2016 (Finland, environmental training in extreme conditions), Black Blade 2016 (Belgium, Special Operations Forces exercise) and Fire Blade 2017 (Hungary, live-fire, urban operations).

The HEP Member States fully realise that the multinational dimension is key to the development of the helicopter capabilities of European countries. Therefore, the well-established HEP community calls for a wider extension of proven exchanges of operational experience, such as the ones conducted during the Helicopter Tactics Symposiums. 

More information: 

• Helicopter initiatives
• News "Fifth edition of the Helicopter Tactics Symposium held in Prague" (4 December 2014)

 

From 23 November to 11 December 2015, the European Defence Agency (EDA) in cooperation with Austria as host nation, organised the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear explosives Improvised Devices Search Pilot Course (CBRNe ID Search Course), to enhance pMS’ knowledge on all aspects of C-IED.    

The event took place at the “AbwehrSchule” CBRN School in Korneuburg, Austria. A total of sixteen students attended the course which included a mixture of military and police Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), CBRN and Search specialists from the following countries: Austria, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Latvia, Czech Republic and Spain. A mixture of military and civilian CBRNe Search expertise ensured a wide range of operational experience was available during the course.

Practical training provided the most effective means of learning for this course and students were able to participate in immersive scenarios as commanders, searchers, EOD and Sampling and Identification of Biological, Chemical and Radiological Agents (SIBCRA) specialists in a joint CBRN response team. A variety of instructional methods were employed to achieve this learning: demonstrations, individual skills practice, group mini-tasks and full tactical tasks for teams provided a structured approach to learning. Differentiation was applied where required to compensate for language difficulties or adaptation of existing skills from SIBCRA to Search.

All practical exercises were recorded using photos and videos; this enabled every day to be concluded with a video debrief to ensure students understood the details of each phase even if they were involved in a separate aspect of the task. 

The various scenarios provided a range of operational complexities which highlighted the different operational capabilities, policies and procedures each pMS had. As a result, the course provided much opportunity for sharing best practice, and  a seminar was held to facilitate discussion about the range of capabilities.

A Distinguished Visitors Day was hosted by Austria on 10 December 2015. Several Defence Attaches and other visitors participated in the event and took the opportunity to visit the CBRN School for briefings on the course design and contents. Visitors also had the chance to visit a live “vessel search” demonstration in the Danube river.

The EDA intends to hold a CBRNe ID Search seminar during 2016 to define and exploit concepts on this area of expertise.

More information:

• CBRN Joint Investment Programme
• News "Last contract of CBRN Joint Investment Programme signed" (2 October 2015)

The fifth edition of the Personnel Recovery Controller and Planner Course (PRCPC), a project initiated and supported by the European Defence Agency (EDA), was organised and hosted for the first time by the newly established European Personnel Recovery Centre (EPRC).

The course was successfully conducted from 23 November to 4 December 2015 in Poggio Renatico Air Base, Italy. It was organised by the European Personnel Recovery Centre (EPRC) at the request of six Member States contributing to the project.

All in all, nineteen students from eleven countries including Austria, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States benefitted from the knowledge and experience of a cadre of instructors from Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States. 

The main focus of the course was to train staff officers in supporting their commanders in Personnel Recovery related issues. The course is designed for personnel who man personnel recovery positions in tactical operation centres (TOCs), personnel recovery coordination cells (PRCCs) or joint personnel recovery cells (JPRCs). 

Personnel Recovery (PR) is a vital element of modern operational planning as it provides a security net for deployed personnel. Most importantly, it boosts morale and acknowledges national as well as European Union responsibilities to effect the recovery and reintegration of isolated personnel deployed in the context of Crisis Management Operations under the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). 

The next EU PRCPC will take place in Karlsborg, Sweden, from 29 February to 11 March 2016 and will be organised by the Swedish Armed Forces. 

Background

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 six contributing EU Member States (cMS): Austria, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands and Sweden. On 31 May 2015, the cMS agreed to extend the PRCPC Cat B project until 30 May 2017. The EPRC is a potential candidate for the continuation of the project. 

The EPRC closely cooperates with the European Defence Agency. 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 and Adaptation) by developing/harmonising the Personnel Recovery Policy, Doctrine and Standards through clear lines of communications with partners/stakeholders (nations and international organisations), and providing assistance in support of education and training, exercises and operations.

More information: 

• News "Hungary hosts personnel recovery course" (9 June 2015)
• News "Successful personnel recovery course held in Sweden" (6 March 2015)

Federica Mogherini, in her capacity as Head of the European Defence Agency, and Stepan Poltorak, Minister of Defence of Ukraine signed today an Administrative Arrangement between the EDA and the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence.

The conclusion of the Administrative Arrangement follows a mandate provided by the EDA Steering Board on 3 December 2015. The European Council approved the Administrative Arrangement on 30 November 2015.

The Administrative Arrangement formalises the relationship between EDA and the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, enabling Ukraine’s potential participation in EDA’s military-technological projects and programmes. Cooperative areas remain to be further defined but initial identified areas are standardisation, training, logistics and Single European Sky.

Picture credit: The European Union; From left to right: Mr Stepan POLTORAK, Minister of Defence of Ukraine; Ms Federica MOGHERINI, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy; Mr Jorge DOMECQ, Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency.

More information:

• EDA partners page
• Joint Press Release following the Association Council meeting between the European Union and Ukraine

 

The BaToLUS project, Battle Damage Tolerance for Lightweight Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Structures, brought about a successful development of new rapid prototype modelling capabilities.

The BaToLUS project involved major European aeronautical industries, top-rated European research institutes and also small European enterprises. The European Defence Agency (EDA) led cooperation brought together a "critical mass" for an effective scientific dialogue, thus allowing the Nations to benefit from synergies in their respective industrial capabilities.

Compared to more conventional combat aircraft designs, extremely lightweight structures exhibit different distributions of strength and stiffness. Within the BaToLUS project, cost-efficient alternatives to a well-defined baseline configuration have been developed by improved structural design, aiming to offer increased tolerance against battle damage, whilst supporting the original requirements and keeping potential penalties small. 

Thanks to BaToLUS, new rapid prototype modelling capabilities have been developed. Also, a generic design process, which includes “Vulnerability Load Cases", and novel high-fidelity simulation methods have been demonstrated. A large number of structural concepts for vulnerability reductions have been identified, assessed and – for two of them – implemented and tested. Operational evaluation with respect to impacts on cost, weight and capabilities were considered at an overall platform level, together with vulnerability analysis taking into account the demonstrated structural performance and aerodynamic damage characterisation.

The main objectives of the project have been: (i) defining a UAV design and development process for vulnerability reduction to be integrated in the design process, (ii) demonstrating an improvement of the current UAV modelling, simulation and design capabilities, and (iii) providing a guideline on the costs associated with the development of a vulnerability-improved UAV.

The BaToLUS project was managed and funded by Germany, France, Sweden, and the UK in the frame of the European Defence Agency, and carried out by Airbus Defence & Space Germany (project leader), Airbus Group Innovations France, BAE Systems, CEA Gramat, Dynamec Research AB, Fraunhofer-Institut für Kurzzeitdynamik - Ernst-Mach-Institut (EMI), Industrieanlagen-Betriebsgesellschaft mbH (IABG), ONERA – The French Aerospace Lab, and SAAB Aerosystems.

More information:

• More details about the BaToLUS project
• About Capability Technology Areas 

 

This week, Chief Executive Jorge Domecq updated the European Parliament’s security and defence subcommittee on the outcome of the recent EDA Ministerial Steering Board, the current security situation, the future of the European Defence Agency (EDA) and the Global Strategy.

Against the background of the atrocious terrorist attacks in Paris, Mr. Domecq emphasised the need to further develop European defence integration, “We need the right capabilities, a sound European armament policy supporting our defence industries, enhanced civil-military synergies and EU-NATO relations to make a quantum leap.”

In his update, Mr. Domecq stressed that the upcoming Global Strategy as well as the European Commission’s European Defence Action Plan were opportunities to address crucial elements for defence cooperation, the development of capabilities as well as strengthening of the European Defence and Industry Technological Base to safeguard Europe’s strategic autonomy.

Mr. Domecq also briefed Members of Parliament on the progress of the four capability programmes (air-to-air refuelling, cyber defence, Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems and governmental satellite communications) as well as on future cooperative programmes recently approved by Ministers of Defence (deployable bio-laboratory, Medevac and anti-tank weapons).

Other initiatives in which the Agency has made progress in recent months include incentives for defence cooperation and mainly the VAT exemption for EDA projects, barter mechanisms, hybrid warfare. The Agency continues to working closely with the European Commission on the Preparatory Action on defence-related research as well as on facilitating access to EU instruments and funds for European companies working on dual-use technologies. Chief Executive Domecq also gave an update on the Agency’s work on wider EU policies and mainly on SES/SESAR, REACH and Energy.

He concluded his intervention by discussing the future role and direction of the Agency. The EDA is at the service of Member States and he insisted that there are five areas where Member States could and should make greater use of the Agency: 1) to use the Capability Development Plan as a real tool for defence planning, 2) systematic use of enablers, 3) the Preparatory Action on CSDP-related research should be the catalyst for greater engagement in cooperative defence R&T, 4) systematic harnessing of civil-military synergies, 5) using the EDA to make better use of available EU funding.

 

More information:

• Mr. Domecq's intervention is available here.
• European Parliament defence and security subcommittee

The latest issue of "European Defence Matters", the official magazine of the European Defence Agency, is now available. 

With cyber defence being the leading topic, the ninth issue of "European Defence Matters" presents the EU, NATO and industry views on cyber defence with a special focus placed on the European Defence Agency's efforts in this area. It also comprises opinions of Luigi Rebuffi, Chief Executive Officer of European Organisation of Security on cyber security. 

In addition to cyber defence topic, this issue also includes an exclusive interview with Mauro Moretti, Chief Executive Officer & General Manager of Finmeccanica and President of the AeroSpace & Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD), who presents his assessment of the European defence and security market. Another highlight is the interview with Etienne Schneider, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy, Internal Security and Defence of Luxembourg presenting a LuxGovSat project. This issue also encompasses an extensive report on this year's EDA Annual Conference "European Defence Matters."

More information:

• The latest issue of "European Defence Matters" is available here

On 20 November 2015, the European Defence Agency (EDA) hosted the Executive Steering Group of the Multinational Capability Development Campaign (MCDC) 2015-16.

MCDC is a US-led fellowship of twenty-four nations and international organisations; its aim is to develop defence capabilities for effective and interoperable global coalition operations.

The meeting focused on subjects of particular interest to the MCDC members, such as countering hybrid warfare, multinational defensive cyberspace operations, federated mission networks, maritime operations, countering unmanned autonomous systems and social media. The executives recognised that some of these could add real value to countering emergent threats within Europe. They also confirmed their commitment for a more structured dialogue in order to develop valuable military capabilities together.

The EDA joined MCDC in 2013 with the twofold objective of sharing the principles of defence capability development in a global context, and ensuring the Common Security and Defence Policy is considered in the group’s discussions.

 

More information:

•  News "EDA Symposium on Social Media in Security and Defence" (21 August 2014)
  
  
  

On 29 September 2015, thirty experts from Ministries of Defence, European Commission, NATO staff, industry and academia participated in an European Defence Agency (EDA) seminar to address the future impact of metamaterials technologies on defence capabilities. The seminar was co-organised by the Capability Technology groups (CapTechs) on Materials & Structures, Technologies for Components and Modules, Radiofrequency Sensors Technologies, and Electro-Optical Sensors Technologies.

Metamaterials are engineered structured materials used principally to control and manipulate electromagnetic fields and acoustic waves. Their properties come both from those of the materials they are made of, as well as from their geometrical arrangements. 

High level experts on metamaterials and defence technologies gathered to discuss on the potentials of metamaterials for different defence applications and related future challenges. In order to raise the awareness for these technologies, background information was provided on current work regarding metamaterials at EU level, on relevant activities in various CapTechs, on defence capability needs and on areas were further research is needed. The discussion focused on metamaterials defence applications, such as metamaterials to enhance the performance of radar antennas, their use as radar absorbers and cloaking, both regarding acoustics and microwave signals. Also the challenges and the way ahead regarding measurements, fabrication or modelling were addressed during the meeting.

The main outcome of the seminar is the identification of radar antennas and absorbers as the most promising defence applications. On the other hand, wide-band tunable surfaces are the most wanted applications of metamaterials, although they are far to be achieved. However, with a view to developing different applications, SMEs and academia need military requirements to better align their research to defence needs. Moreover, industry requires understanding of manufacturing tolerances and their performance in real conditions. These issues, together with the fact that metamaterials technologies are mainly civil driven, make the identification of the right area and right moment to start investing in a major challenge for defence actors. 

For further information, please contact CapTech.Materials@eda.europa.eu 

More information: 

• Project page on METamaterials for Active ELEctronically Scanned Arrays (METALESA)
• News "EDA project shows how metamaterials can boost the performance of antennas (MIMICRA)" (15 September 2014)

From 23 to 27 November 2015, an Expert Level Course on European Armament Cooperation (EAC) takes place in Warsaw, Poland, to further increase knowledge on armament cooperation, and to foster ties among the community.

 

The course is organised by the European Defence Agency (EDA), the European Security and Defence College (ESDC) and the Austrian Ministry of Defence (MOD) and Sports, and hosted by the Polish Ministry of Defence. It aims at bringing forward various aspects of armaments cooperation at the EU level. Beyond knowledge development, the course serves as a useful networking platform to foster and to harmonise armaments cooperation among the Member States. 

The Expert Level Course constitutes a follow-on to an Awareness Level Module held at the EDA premises from 27 to 29 October 2015. Additionally, in order to attend the courses, it is mandatory to complete an Internet-based Distant Learning (IDL) module offered by the ESDC. 

“The EDA is fully committed in supporting Member States with education and training initiatives. The high number of participants to this edition of the course confirms that we are going in the right direction. This course represents an important tool for the European cooperation in the armaments domain”, says Massimo Guasoni, the EDA Head of Education, Training & Exercise Unit.

The topics brought on the course agenda include e.g. various aspects of cooperative programmes, research & development in cooperative programmes, harmonisation of the European Military Airworthiness, intercultural aspects in international cooperation and others. Several EDA subject matter experts will share their knowledge and experiences with the course participants. 

 

Background 

The European Defence Agency has been working towards establishing a proper training frame in response to the growing needs for harmonised education in the armament acquisition field since 2006. In 2009, the Czech Republic’s EU Presidency supported the creation of a new European armaments cooperation course, providing an EU-wide training platform where a common understanding of a European approach to armaments cooperation could be promoted. The EDA Member States welcomed the initiative and later that year the EDA Steering Board, in the National Armaments Directors configuration, approved the top-level European Armaments Cooperation (EAC) Framework, under which the current course was established.

In 2013, thanks to the initiative of Austria and other like-minded countries, including the Czech Republic, Germany, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, the course took its current form. It followed the success of the pilot European Armaments Cooperation Course organised in Brussels and Stadtschlaining in 2012.

More information:

• News "Increasing awareness of European Armament Cooperation
• European Security and Defence College website

The global fight against improvised explosive devices will shortly have a new capability in its arsenal. The Joint Deployable Exploitation and Analysis Laboratory (JDEAL) programme will conduct two courses specifically designed for the set up and technical management of a new deployable capability (JDC) and its equipment. These courses are being conducted under the framework of the JDEAL programme and are taking place ahead of final delivery to Soesterberg (The Netherlands) in mid December 2015.

The courses will be hosted by Spain at the International Demining Centre facilities near Madrid from 23 November until 4 December 2015 and are particularly significant because they represent the first opportunity for Member States to familiarise themselves with the full laboratory and its capabilities.

Firstly, trainees from the thirteen participating Member States contributing to the programme will be instructed by the manufacturer, the Spanish company Indra Sistemas on the process needed to set up the facility. A comprehensive training package on the design, set up, maintenance and dismantling in all operational modes of the JDEAL system is envisaged.

Secondly, practical activities will be conducted for JDEAL related experts on the specific electronics items, tools and adequate skills to manage and operate complex laboratory equipment – providing them with a full insight into the capability.

After the execution of these courses, the laboratory will be packed up and moved to Soesterberg, at which point this deployable capability will be definitely considered to have reached Full Operational Capability (FOC) – after approximately only one year from the start of the initiative.

 

More information:

• Counter-IED project page

Andrea Gilli received the EDA-Egmont PhD Prize during the European Defence Agency’s (EDA) Annual Conference held on 16 November 2015. The award was handed over by Prof Sven Biscop, Director of “Europe in the World Programme” at the Egmont Institute, and Rini Goos, EDA Deputy Chief Executive. 

The biannual EDA-Egmont PhD prize is awarded by the European Defence Agency and the Egmont Institute to academic scholars to stimulate research in the field of European defence, security and strategy. This year’s winner, Andrea Gilli, is a post-doctoral fellow at the Centre for Security Studies, Metropolitan University Prague, and his research on armaments cooperation has received recognition. The awarded thesis is titled “Unipolarity, Technological Change and Arms Manufacturing: Industrial Alliances in the European Defense Industry”.

Before handing over the award, Rini Goos, EDA Deputy Chief Executive, raised the issue of the future visions which often combine the practitioner’s and academic perspectives: “The practitioner’s view comes from accumulated experience, realism, pragmatism and an understanding of the practical mechanics of defence and diplomacy. The academic view on the other hand is blessed by being outside the system and provides objectivity, independence, innovation and analysis in a global context. Together, these perspectives provide a complete picture.” 

Prof Sven Biscot pointed out that the winner of the prize delivered a very courageous thesis based on an extensive and empirical material, and that it presents very concrete ideas for defence policies. 

“It is an honour to be here today to receive this prize and to share the contents of my research with you,” said Andrea Gilli. “In the age of fast technological change and budgetary constraints, we often hear that European countries have to increase their cooperation on future military technologies,” he said and added that such cooperation may be extremely difficult because of “the process of technological disruption”. In his thesis, Gilli dwells upon, among other things, various aspects of cooperation in armaments production, technological advancement as well as implications for the European defence industrial base.

 

Background

EDA-Egmont PhD prize was created in 2013 to stimulate research in the field of European defence, security and strategy. The unique partnership enables Egmont to ensure academic substance while the EDA exposes the research to the heart of the European policy making.

More information 

• News "2015 EDA-Egmont PhD prize awarded" (20 May 2015)

The European Defence Agency together with EuroDefense Deutschland co-organised a conference entitled “Unmanned Maritime Systems – A Key Enabling Technology for the 21st Century Navy”, held at the Representation of Schleswig-Holstein in Berlin.

 

The conference featured participants from thirteen different nations and had ninety attendees. The conference consisted of three different panels which addressed the pertinent and topical questions in relation to the development and adoption of Unmanned Maritime Systems (UMS).

In his opening remarks, Rini Goos, the Deputy Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency (EDA), highlighted the role the EDA plays in the development of capabilities and that the EDA “is the place to go for Member States who are keen to develop defence capabilities through cooperation”.

Rear Admiral Kähler, the Chief of Staff at the German Naval Command, provided an opening keynote speech. His address set the tone for the conference, as it outlined the importance of UMS and the need for European cooperation, but, additionally, it contained a word of caution, in that we must not neglect the need for internal and external investments in a time of shrinking budgets. In the broader Unmanned Systems environment, he asserted that many of the technological developments are dual-use in nature, and there are many complimentary features between the civil and military sides. 

The conference panels proceeded to address three broad areas relating to UMS, namely the operational concerns on the adoption of UMS, the need for multinational cooperation in overcoming complexity and, finally, a focus on the challenges facing the wider adoption of UMS in terms of classification, safety and regulations. 

An interesting theme consistent throughout the conference related to the next steps on the use of UMS. It was emphasised that the current focus of UMS in the area of mine countermeasures is very much a first step and not the end point in itself. Navies must continue to innovate and accept new technologies and this often requires a cultural shift. As Dr Heiko Borchett outlined in his presentation, innovation requires a level of risk tolerance and acceptance, and that it is only by the wider adoption of UMS that we can ensure confidence and reliability in these systems and shift the debate from men vs machine, but rather focus on the men-machine and machine-machine collaborative aspects that will open the door on future uses. 

This lead into the second panel discussion, moderated by the EDA Project Officer for Naval Systems, Paul O’Brien. This panel focussed upon some of the areas addressed in the EDA Unmanned Maritime Systems programme, which consists of fifteen coordinated projects and has a monetary value of €56 million. The conference participants were informed of the ongoing efforts to develop technologies to meet the capability requirement for Maritime Mine Countermeasures. 

The Capability Armament and Technology Director, Peter Round, moderated the third panel, which focused on the challenges facing the wider adoption of the UMS. This had a particular focus on regulatory aspects and legal classifications. 

The conference concluded with a speech from the Cypriot Minister of Defence, Mr Fokaides who provided an overview of the security considerations in the Eastern Mediterranean. In particular, he outlined the importance of the recent discovery of natural resources in the area and stated that these could act as a catalyst for political solutions. He further asserted that UMS technologies and the civil-military dimension have an important role to play.

 

More information:

• Unmanned Maritime Systems (UMS) research

A high level conference to discuss maritime security issues explored challenges arising from the European Union’s Maritime Security Strategy (EUMSS) and its associated Action Plan. The benefits and opportunities for further cooperation also provoked much discussion between the stakeholders and national subject experts who attended.

The Maritime Security Conference, conducted by the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Cyprus and the European Defence Agency (EDA), in the framework of the Luxembourg Presidency of the EU Council, was held in Cyprus from 11-13 November.

The need for a rapid and coherent EU response to the migrant crisis brought added emphasis to the discussions – only reinforced by the symbolism of hosting the event in a Mediterranean venue. Furthermore, the focus of the topics addressed, such as implementation of the EUMSS, the protection of strategic maritime infrastructure and sea-lines of communication, and the protection and development of ocean wealth, were of high interest to attendees.

“For the EDA, the EUMSS was the platform to plug-in its ongoing activities and, where appropriate, to adapt existing initiatives or develop new ones. In the revised Capability Development Plan, ‘Maritime Patrolling and Escorting’ and ‘Maritime Surveillance’ are two priority actions,” said Jorge Domecq, Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency, who was one of the key speakers at the conference and a participant in a panel discussion on the EU Maritime Security Strategy.

Peter Round, EDA Capability, Armaments and Technology Director, moderated three panel talks and chaired a round table discussion in which high level stakeholders shared their maritime security challenges and opportunities. “European prosperity, like any economic centre in our global economy, is based on successful exploitation of the sea and, at times, the ability to exert control through the use of force. A reduction in our level of ambition from Open Seas to the Littoral could bring about ‘sea blindness’, shrinking Europe’s sea-going vision to what could be termed a ‘coast guard function’. I’d far rather see us aspire to a ‘sea guard function’ to ensure our ongoing freedom of manoeuvre on the High Seas – i.e.: Sea Power,” he said. 

Additionally, the conference included a session dedicated to research and technological aspects of the EUMSS which encompassed the local academic and research communities. 

 

More information: 

• News "EDA Continues Mine Counter Measures Activities - Two Maritime Conferences on the Way" (19 October 2015)