EDA News

An evaluation of the implementation of the Directive on intra-EU-transfers of defence-related products has been launched by the European Commission. The European Defence Agency, under its role as an interface to wider EU policies impacting defence, is coordinating with the Commission in order to raise awareness and increase the input of Member States Ministries of Defence as well as defence industry, on issues related to the implementation of Directive 2009/43/EC.

Also known as the Directive on intra-EU-transfers of defence-related products, it aims to simplify terms and conditions of transfers of defence-related products within the Community. The Directive entered into force in 2009 and was transposed into national legislation across all Member States and EEA countries by 2012.

The Commission has recently launched an evaluation of the implementation of the ICT Directive, in view of preparing a report to the European Parliament and Council by June 2016. It has contracted the independent consultancy Technopolis Group to evaluate the implementation, uptake and impact of the Directive, and to provide recommendations to address any identified problems, in view of supporting the Commission in the preparation of its report.

A central aspect of the evaluation is a survey-based consultation with European defence industry. The online survey can be accessed at this link. The consultation is due to close on Friday 18th September 2015.

According to Technopolis, all responses obtained through the consultation will be treated in the strictest confidence, in line with EU legislation on data protection, and access to the data will be restricted to a small team within Technopolis. Information will only be passed to the Commission and published in aggregated and non-attributable form.

More information

• For further information or clarifications regarding the study or the consultation, industry can contact Technopolis / Mr. Neil Brown directly at: defence@technopolis-group.com

The implementation of the Single European Sky is a topic of utmost importance for all airspace users in Europe. Coordination between the military and civil communities is a critical enabler in that process, as we explain in this interview with subject matter experts.

(This article first appeared in the latest issue of the EDA's official magazine, European Defence Matters)

"A bridge between two worlds"with Roland van Reybroeck "Airspace is a single resource" with Florian Guillermet
"SESAR... is a powerful catalyst" with Massimo Garbini
"Much greater focus on performance" with Philippe Merlo
"Higher civil /military interoperability" with Luc Lalouette

 

A bridge between two worlds

• What is the EDA’s added value when it comes to gathering military views on SESAR?

Roland Van Reybroeck
European Defence Agency Cooperation, Planning & Support Director

Since 2010, the European Defence Agency has been tasked to support Member States’ armed forces in the identification of the operational and financial risks associated with the implementation of the Single European Sky air trafficmanagement research programme (SESAR). This is no small feat: as is often pointed out, military fleets with some 9,500 diverse aircraft form the single biggest ‘airline’ operating in European airspace,with more than 150,000 flights each year.

The unique structure of the EDA,whose experts interact on a daily basis with Ministries of Defence, allows us to gather inputs and requirements very early on. A dedicated ‘SESAR Cell’ set up within the EDA early last year provides us with a strong platform for interaction with all parties involved in the implementation of SESAR. 

As an Agency of the European Union, we’re also in the best position to ensure smooth interactions with other EU actors, especially the Commission which needs a consolidated view of the defence community's specific needs regarding the Single European Sky. 

But the EDA is also closely coordinating with the EU Military Committee and EU Military Staff, especially with regard to operational implications and requirements, aswell as training aspects. This is all the more important now that SESAR has entered its Deployment Phase and newair traffic management functionalities will be introduced, some of whichmight have an adverse impact onmilitary operations.

• What process will you put in place to ensure a smooth interaction with Member States?

Civil and military general air traffic (GAT) flights in 2013
Jpeg file (363Kb)

The EDA is facilitating the coordination of military views on SES and SESAR. The idea is to analyse the technological projects submitted by other Single European Sky stakeholders ahead of their actual implementation, and to identify those who can impact the military community, from a financial or operational point of view. 

In support of this process a three step consultation mechanism was established with the aim of involving NATO and EUROCONTROL, who include military airspace users and navigation service providers beyond those of the European Union. The mechanism entails staff-to staff coordination and access to relevant expertise available in all three organisations, in order to develop joint military impact assessments of the SESAR deployment programme. These assessments are subsequently submitted to States for comments. The outcome of the mechanism is a consolidated opinion exported by the EDA as a collective view of the military. We have used this process for several initiatives: the adoption of EU Regulations, the development of the ATM Master Plan and now SESAR deployment.

The work with Member States also involves identifying potential mitigation actions as and when required. This involves avoiding duplication of effort and reducing potential investment burdens, by recognizing that certain military systems are sufficient and robust enough to face SESAR requirements, based on equivalent level of performance. On the other hand it may include effectively ensuring the incorporation of military requirements in future SES development and SESAR deployment and ensuring access to EU-funding for related military projects which are already part of defence ministry investment plans or newly planned. In the regulatory domain it may include obtaining exemptions for the military, but only when absolutely necessary. The military indeed strive to be ‘as civil as possible’ but also need to remain ‘as military as required’.

• In which areas do EU air forces have specific requirements that need to be addressed?

The defence community has always emphasized the prerequisite for air forces to have free and safe access to European airspace for training purposes, air-policing and air defence missions. There is also the need to safeguard their ability to deploy to external operation theatres from within the European airspace, as and when required. Let me clarify that by elaborating on a few examples. 

“The unique structure of the EDA, whose experts interact on a daily basis with Ministries of Defence, allows us to gather inputs and requirements very early on”

Preserving the capacity of the military to train properly means that military pilots need to reach dedicated manoeuvring areas that are often contiguous with airspace used by civil traffic. Access to these areas needs to be ensured in the context of a new SESAR environment which might induce some changes to current procedures or routes for military pilots. 

Safely operating across national and European airspace, including in the most dense and complex areas involves both operational and general air traffic, and ranges from logistic air transport to urgent military interventions in case of contingency situations. And, in the not so distant future, it may also involve safe and efficient integration of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), on a routine basis. 

The specific needs of state actors flying public-service missions such as search and rescue, airborne surveillance or firefighting also have to be taken into account. 

With all these requirements in mind, adverse impacts on both military and civil stakeholders should be avoided through systematic and enhanced civil-military dialogue at the earliest possible stage, first at national levels and then at a European level. Both parties should, side-by side, willingly engage in the cooperative development of harmonised solutions and common mitigation actions.

• Looking ahead, what do you expect will be the longterm benefits of this approach?

The European Defence Agency clearly recognizes and acknowledges the crucial importance of the Single European Sky initiative of the European Commission, which aims at achieving, in the foreseeable future, improved efficiency, increased capacity, enhanced aviation safety, diminished environmental impact of flights and reduced costs of air traffic services. It is after all in themutual interest of all airspace users, private and public, commercial and governmental, civil and military, to reach these objectives which will contribute to increased efficiency, flexibility and safety, for all. It is a shared vision

The highest priority for all stakeholders is clearly the safe operation of aircraft. The military fully support this objective and anything that can be done to make the airspace safer should be duly considered.

Another major benefit shall be the harmonization of procedures and interoperability of systems across Member States to ensure appropriate access to airspace for all, civil and military alike. This implies the development of harmonised and coordinated civilmilitary implementation roadmaps governing the introduction of new technology or organisational and structural change, to ensure sustained compatibility if not interoperability.

Furthermore, developing air traffic insertion solutions for RPAS, with a view to exploiting all potential synergies and developing common standards. But also, considering common education and training solutions for basic RPAS operations in non-segregated airspace, relying on existing experience and expertise from various operational environments.

The EDA is ideally placed to facilitate cooperation in all of these areaswith relevantmilitary stakeholders and to provide access to a number of existing cooperation platforms for the development of harmonised civil/military solutions. The Military Airworthiness Authorities Forum, the Material Standardisation Group and the Defence Test and Evaluation Base are just a few examples of such cooperation platforms.

The necessity to put into practice the legislative framework for the Single European Sky in a coherent and consistent way is fully shared, taking full account of economic necessities, but also of the requirements resulting from common and national security and defence policies. The shared vision of a Single European Airspace, delivering the benefits which are envisaged, can be achieved through constructive cooperation between civil and military stakeholders, based on the collective willingness to achieve the SES performance objectives, while at the same time enhancing military mission effectiveness. This endeavour should start at national levels between civil andmilitary airspace users, service providers and operators, through joint deployment projects that concretely will help building the Single European Sky piece by piece. It is clear that aviation industry as well can play a key contributing role in this perspective.

The European Defence Agency is reaching out and ramping-up its coordination with all relevant stakeholders, in order to be a strong and reliable partner for civil-military cooperation and harmonisation, with a view to jointly building a Single European Sky in which the views and needs of the defence community are duly taken into account.

 

"Airspace is a single resource"

• What is the timeline for the implementation of SESAR?

Florian Guillermet
SESAR JU
Executive Director
www.sesarju.eu

Thanks to a strong collaboration between its members, the SESAR Joint Undertaking is already delivering the needed operational and technological improvements (‘SESAR Solutions’) for industrialisation and deployment. Over the course of 2015 and 2016, our goal is to add many more to this catalogue of SESAR Solutions. In parallel, an extended programme (SESAR 2020) will address new challenges and evolutions in ATM and aviation necessary to reach the next level of performance. These activities will be fully aligned with the next edition of the ATM Master Plan, which will be finalised by the end of 2015.

• What are the specific requirements of the armed forces and how are they taken into account?

SESAR is founded on the principle that European airspace is a single resource shared by all airspace users, whose diverse needs are fully recognised and answered. Thanks to a very sound cooperation with our military partners from States and military organisations, we have been able to integrate and respond to the needs of the armed forces through a number of dedicated projects.

One area of focus has been the exchange of air-ground data messages between military aircraft and ATM systems. In response to concerns that SESAR Solutions could bring into the cockpit an assembly of costly avionics, SESAR members recently demonstrated how civil-military interoperability is possible on the principle of equivalence, using existing military capabilities thereby reducing implementation costs.

• What have been the most recent deliverables of the SESAR JU?

A number of recently-delivered SESAR Solutions have already been implemented, such as the world’s first Remote Tower Services (RTS) in Sweden supporting mobility and thereby economic sustainability for remote regions in Europe. Another significant milestone is the world’s first 4D flights, which allows for more efficient flight paths and traffic flows, and ultimately more predictable flights. But perhaps, the most convincing proof of SESAR’s readiness is the EU decision to deploy the first set of SESAR Solutions into the Pilot Common Project (PCP). This will allow for the crucial synchronised deployment across Europe (2015-2020).

 

"SESAR... is a powerful catalyst"

• What is the role of the deployment manager?

Massimo Garbini
Managing Director
SESAR Deployment Manager
www.sesardeployment
manager.eu

The SESAR project is a powerful catalyst to transforming Europe’s ATM network into a modern, cohesive and performance-based operational system. Proof of the readiness of SESAR research is the decision by the European Commission (EC) to package a first set of SESAR solutions into a Pilot Common Project (PCP), that are considered mature enough for synchronised deployment across Europe (2015-2020). This will be managed by the recently established SESAR Deployment Manager (SDM), an alliance of European ATM actors collaborating under a framework partnership agreement with the EC, who will ensure that new technologies and solutions that have already been tested and validated through the SESAR JU are delivered into everyday operations across Europe, delivering significant benefits to airspace users and the environment. This means that Europe now has all the blocks necessary to build the ATM system that it needs to increase the performance and sustainability of its aviation sector. 

• How is the coordination of military and civil views organised in that context?

The military is a very important stakeholders of the SESAR Deployment Manager (SDM). SDM will conclude a cooperative arrangement with EDA to formalise the exchange of information crucial for drawing up the Deployment Programme (DP).Also input from the operational military stakeholders shall be taken into account, through representation by the EDA, in the Stakeholder Consultation Platform. 

• What will be the main milestones of the SESAR deployment programme?

The Deployment Programme (DP) is not just another plan. The DP is direct input for the subsequent INEA-calls (Innovation & Networks Executive Agency) aimed at investing the CEF-funds (Connection Europe Facility). So there will be a sequence between the INEA-calls and the versions of the Deployment Programme. For now the first version of the DP should be delivered to DG Move by end of June 2015, as input for INEA-call expected by the end of 2015. Another INEA-call is expected by end 2016, so a second version (DP v2) is expected by mid-2016. 

 

"Much greater focus on performance"

• What impact does the military community have on European ATM – and vice versa?

Philippe Merlo
Director ATM, EUROCONTROL
www.eurocontrol.int

Europe has a single airspace shared between civilian and military airspace users. The military have a vital role to play, with specific needs for reserved airspace as certain times. They also have to be able to transit through airspace that is also being used by civilian traffic. There is today a much greater focus on performance – safety, capacity, cost efficiency and the environment. At the same time, civilian traffic is starting to increase again, with the latest forecast showing that 2021 will see nearly 1.8 million more flights than in 2014 – an increase of over 18%. So ATM has to evolve in order to maintain and even improve its performance. This will have implications both for how airspace is shared and also or for military aircraft flying in civilian-controlled airspace.

• How does EUROCONTROL take the specific needs of the armed forces into account?

EUROCONTROL is a civil-military organisation and has a long and unique record of fostering civil-military and even military-military cooperation. One good example of this is the fact that one of the first of our new Centralised Services (CS4) is the Advanced Flexible Use of Airspace service, which is being developed to help ensure that military missions can be carried out effectively while maximising the availability of airspace for civil users. Just as important is the work done to ensure that the needs of the armed forces are considered when developing new ATM technologies and procedures. Here we can see the focus on developing ground infrastructure, rather than more aircraft equipage and on performance-based regulation. So rather than specifying what equipment aircraft should carry, the emphasis is more on what that equipment should be able to do.

• How do you interact with SESAR in that domain?

We are a founding member of the SESAR Joint Undertaking, as well as being involved in a significant number of the SESAR projects including, in particular, the European ATM Master Plan. We are also developing our working relationship with bodies such as the European Commission, EASA, the new SESAR Deployment Manager as well as, of course, the EDA with whom we have a joint work programme.

 

"Higher civil /military interoperability"

• How are the industry’s interests represented within the SESAR endeavour?

Luc Lalouette
Head of SESAR Task Force with the ASD 
www.asd-europe.org

“All of us have to keep in mind that the European Air Forces are the biggest fleet operators and airports owners and as such have a key role to play in the SES developments”

The industry’s interests are both directly and indirectly represented within the SESAR endeavour. Directly, through the pro-active contribution of the key air traffic management (ATM) industrial stakeholders in the SESAR Joint Undertaking structure on the ground and in the air, more than 30% of the funding of the SESAR JU is provided by industry. Indirectly, and in a larger manner than the SESAR JU members, the industry’s interests are represented through its active involvement in SESAR deployment preparation in support of discussions with European bodies and, as recognized by the European bodies, at a later stage through the support of the Deployment Manager. The AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe is involved in the SESAR deployment phase in governance and financing and in the synchronization and interoperability between SESAR and NextGen deployment.

• What is the technological spillover effect of SESAR on the global ATC/ATM industry?

As the technical evolutions in the ATM market are strongly dependent on standardization and norms, SESAR is, in Europe, the key driver to facilitate and accelerate such evolutions due to its large scope and its consensus approach to functional and technical contents.

Potential benefits also exist outside Europe, pending SESAR capabilities to disseminate its outcomes and to be synchronized - both in term of planning and content – with NextGen. SESAR coordinates ATM research and development (R&D) activities in Europe, however the human and financial resources that SESAR asks of companies leads to questions about its remaining capability to create technological differentiators amongst them.

• Do you see potential specific developments linked to the military needs regarding the Single European Sky?

The Single European Sky, due to its nature, calls for higher ATM civil/military coordination and interoperability in order to increase the ATM performance while maintaining the military’s freedom to operate its various missions assigned by its national authorities. The degree of coordination will depend of the situation (peace/war), the nature of the fleet (transport/combat fighter/rotorcraft) and the operational concepts in place within European nations. 

However, we can already foresee the need for specific developments – both at the technical and procedural level – in the following areas:

• Command and control (C2) and military ATC systems to allow interoperability with civilian ATC systems (trajectory management, airspace management, etc)
• Non-radar surveillance due to its impact on military and governmental flight security (automatic dependent surveillance – broadcast [ADS-B], multilateration [MLAT] etc)
• Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) integration into non-segregated airspace (sense and avoid capability)
• Military fleet equipment to limit the need for exemptions

Those needs require fast progress in military cooperation within the framework of the SES. This could be achieved through a deep analysis of potential achievements through performance equivalence and experiments to validate the technological and procedural enhancements needed to fill the gaps.

All of us have to keep in mind that Europe’s air forces operate the largest fleets of aircraft and own the largest number of airport so they have a key role to play in SES developments. SES benefits for Europe’s citizens will not be achieved without the active role of Europe’s air forces.

A

High Representative and Head of the European Defence Agency Federica Mogherini paid her first visit to the EDA yesterday. She met with the Agency’s Management Board before giving an address to the staff.

During her visit to EDA, the High Representative was briefed on EDA activities including maritime surveillance, prioritisation and funding of research & technology, and support to CSDP operations.

“Today I was able to see first-hand some of the really important work you do. I am happy and proud to see how you are tackling the many challenges of European defence. In the current security environment, I want defence cooperation to be the rule, not the exception”, Federica Mogherini stressed in front of the European Defence Agency’s staff. “The EDA is providing the necessary impetus and means to make this a reality. Your collective role is vital. We are here for results and concrete achievements – and I know you deliver”, she added.

More information

• European External Action Service website
• More pictures of the visit on our Flickr gallery

EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq met today with Gerald Klug, Austrian Minister of Defence and Sports, to exchange views on cooperation opportunities and Austria’s involvement in EDA projects. 

”The European Defence Agency plays a significant role in the further development of the European Union’s Common Security and Defence Policy. All Member States benefit from the Agency’s coordinating role in various defence matters such as capability development or the promotion of defence-related research and technology. Austria participates in numerous projects of the European Defence Agency to help reduce EU military shortfalls and enhance the EU’s defence cooperation. The added value for Austria especially lies in the transfer of know-how”, said Minister of Defence Gerald Klug.

“Austria is an active member of the European Defence Agency, with the country being involved in activities as diverse as European Air Transport Fleet exercises and events, the European Armements Cooperation Course or the successful collaborative work carried out in the field of Counter-IED”, EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq stated after the visit. “We also welcome Austria’s participation in our Cyber Defence workstrand”, he added. 

The visit in Austria is part of a series of visits by Mr. Domecq to all EDA Member States following his appointment as EDA Chief Executive at the beginning of 2015. So far, Mr. Domecq visited Spain, Lithuania, Latvia, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands, Ireland, France, Romania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Croatia, Estonia, Poland, Slovenia, Greece, Cyprus and Finland, Sweden, Italy and Slovakia.

More information

• News "Exchange of views with Slovak Minister of Defence" (4 June 2015)
• News "EDA and Italy discuss defence cooperation" (3 June 2015)
• News "Jorge Domecq meets Maltese Minister of Home Affairs and National Security" (19 May 2015)
• News "Jorge Domecq discusses defence cooperation in Finland" (13 May 2015)
• News "Sweden welcomes EDA Chief Executive" (12 May 2015)
• News "Jorge Domecq in Luxembourg to discuss cooperation" (5 May 2015)
• News "Defence cooperation talks in Cyprus" (23 April 2015)
• News "Chief Executive meets Hungarian Minister of Defence" (23 April 2015)
• News "EDA Chief Executive visits Athens" (22 April 2015)
• News "Jorge Domecq in Poland for defence discussions"(20 April 2015)
• News "Jorge Domecq meets Estonian Minister of Defence" (20 April 2015)
• News "Meeting with Croatian Defence Minister in Zagreb" (17 April 2015)
• News "Slovenia welcomes Jorge Domecq" (15 April 2015)
• News "EDA Chief Executive visits Czech Republic" (13 April 2015)
• News "Jorge Domecq in Bulgaria to discuss defence cooperation" (8 April 2015)
• News "EDA Chief Executive travels to Romania" (8 April 2015)
• News "EDA Chief Executive meets French Minister of Defence" (30 March 2015)
• News "Jorge Domecq exchanges views with Irish Minister of Defence Simon Coveney T.D." (25 March 2015)
• News "EDA Chief Executive visits The Netherlands" (23 March 2015)
• News "Discussions on European defence in Portugal" (19 March 2015)
• News "Jorge Domecq meets German Secretary of State" (19 March 2015)
• News "Belgium and EDA discuss future defence cooperation" (18 March 2015)
• News "Jorge Domecq in the UK for cooperation talks" (25 Feb 2015)
• News "Latvia and EDA discuss cooperation opportunities" (19 Feb 2015)
• News "EDA Chief Executive visits Lithuania" (17 Feb 2015) 

The recent European Council acknowledged the importance of hybrid warfare for EU Member States. In this interview we address the topic with EDA project officer Axel Butenschoen.

Axel  Butenschoen is Project Officer for Capability Development Plan within the European Defence Agency.

• How does hybrid warfare differ from “conventional” warfare? Is it really something new?

From an academic point of view we have to state that a broadly accepted definition of “hybrid warfare” does not exist yet. One reason could be that by nature the characteristics of this new type of threat is evolving nearly on a daily basis. However, amongst analysts there are common elements describing this phenomenon of new threats by “violent threats that are simultaneously carried out by state- and non-state actors along all conventional and unconventional lines of operation within a not exclusively military but also diplomatic, information and economic dimensions of conflict in order to achieve a political goal”. From my perspective all the individual elements, for example information warfare, cyber-attacks, conventional military aggressions and destabilisation operations are individually well known but the synchronized, combined approach adds a new dimension to our understanding of aggression.

• Why does hybrid warfare matter to EU Member States?

During the past years Europe’s security has been challenged significantly by this new dimension of conflicts at its eastern and southern borders. The paramount question now is how to counter these so called hybrid threats? Are EU Member States prepared for this challenge and do we have the adequate set of tools in our toolbox? How can EU instruments also support Member States? During the recent European Council, Heads of States and Governments acknowledged the importance of the subject and it can be expected that the EU global strategy on foreign and security policy, to be delivered in 2016, will address the hybrid dimension accordingly.  

 

• What role could the Agency play in supporting its Member States’ counter hybrid capabilities ?

First of all I believe that exclusive counter-hybrid  capabilities do not exist. As explained earlier the new character posed by Hybrid threats is the coordinated combination of more or less existing capabilities by potential adversaries. Consequently, any kind of response also requires a comprehensive but effective approach. In this regard the EDA will not enter into an academic discussion but focus on the military capability dimension. 

Together with Member States and other relevant stakeholders we will conduct a series of subsequent assessments in order to identify the implications of Hybrid warfare for defence capability development in Europe. The results will be presented to Ministers and Capability directors for their consideration; it will support Member States’ efforts in countering Hybrid threats. At the same time the objective is to stress test existing Priorities and identify possible need for amendments. 

This EDA activity will also supplement other initiatives carried out in this context,  for example within the European External Action Service, in charge of preparing a joint communication on hybrid warfare.  At this stage one cannot anticipate the results but the key question: “Are European Member States prepared to counter hybrid threats?” may be answered with findings in line with  “We have adequate capabilities in place but we need to rethink the way we deploy in a more coherent, comprehensive way”. Also such possible outcomes would be of added value and could trigger effective follow-on activities so that Europe stands ready for these new threats.  

More information

• Hybrid warfare project page

Three Member States gathered under the framework of the European Defence Agency to launch a project aimed at developing European navies’ knowledge of marine mammals activity while mitigating the adverse effect of military operations on these species.

The formal signature of a technical agreement is expected for the 2nd semester of 2015. With a planned total budget of €1,5 million, the project is led by Germany with participation from the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

The main objective of the PoMM2 (Protection of Marine Mammals 2) project is to establish a common risk assessment methodology and evaluate mitigation procedures regarding the potential adverse effect of naval operations on marine mammals. For instance, the use of active sonars or underwater explosions in anti-submarine warfare operations has previously been linked with strandings of whales. Developing knowledge-based risk-mitigation measures and precautionary restrictions on the use of certain military systems could help reduce this adverse effect while developing European navies’ knowledge of marine mammals.

This new project is a follow-up to the original PoMM study carried out between 2010 and 2013 under an EDA framework. It helped establish an initial marine mammal database of 126 different species which will serve as a basis for the common risk-assessment methodology to be developed as part of PoMM2. 

Picture credit: Patrick Hawks / Wikimedia Commons

More information

• Maritime Mine Counter Measures 
• Unmanned Maritime Systems

Federica Mogherini, Head of the European Defence Agency, appoints three new chairmen for the EDA Steering Boards in National Armaments Directors, Capability Directors and R&T Directors compositions.

Following consultations, the three new chairs are:

• National Armaments Directors: Deputy Minister Daniel Koštoval (CZ), with effect from 1 September 2015;
• Capability Directors: Lt Gen Erhard Bühler (DE), with effect from 1 January 2016;
• R&T Directors: Dr Bryan Wells (UK), also from 1 January 2016.

“I first want to thank the outgoing chairs for their outstanding contribution to the work of the Agency”, said Jorge Domecq. “At the same time, I am confident that the professional experience and personal qualities of our incoming chairs will make them excellent chairmen. The Steering Boards at the level of National Armaments Directors, R&T Directors and Capability Directors provide important decision-making forums. The Agency is at the service of its Member States: their input is vital to planning cooperative defence projects.”

Deputy Minister Daniel Koštoval started his career in Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1996. Between 1998 and 2002 he worked at NATO in Brussels before moving to Moscow and Washington. In October 2011 he became first Director of the Security Policy Department and then Director General of the Section of Non-European Countries at the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was appointed First Deputy Minister of Defence in April 2013 and State Secretary in the Ministry of Defence in February 2014. He has held his current position as Deputy Minister – Head of the Defence Policy and Strategy Division at the Ministry of Defence since January 2015.

Lieutenant General Erhard Bühler joined the German Federal Armed Forces in 1976. Between 1984 and 2006 he held command positions within the armed forces as well as senior posts at the German Ministry of Defence before becoming Deputy Chief of Staff V in 2006. In 2013, he was appointed Commander of the NATO Joint Warfare Centre in Stavanger. He has held his current position of Director Defence Plans & Policy and Head of the Directorate General for Planning in the Federal Ministry of Defence in Bonn since August 2014. Lieutenant General Bühler also served in two combat missions. In 2004 he deployed to Prizren as Commander of the 9th German Kosovo Force Contingent and from 2010 to 2011 he served as NATO Commander KFOR in Pristina.

Dr Bryan Wells joined the UK Ministry of Defence in 1988. He served as Assistant Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Defence 1989-1992, and has held a range of other posts, including NATO and European Defence Policy 1997-1999, and Counter-Proliferation and Arms Control 2002-2008. During 1999-2002 he was on secondment to the Department of Justice. Dr Wells joined UK Defence Science and Technology in 2008. His responsibilities include the provision of strategic policy advice on all aspects of the Ministry’s science and technology programme.

 

More information:

• EDA Governance

The official endorsement of the military requirements by the EDA Steering Board in Capability Directors composition end of June, marks the start of the cyber ranges project. Its scope is to improve the usage of existing and future cyber ranges for conducting cyber defence training, exercises & testing. This should improve cyber resilience and raise the levels of awareness, insight and expertise of national and EU personnel.

The EU Cyber Security Strategy recognises cyber defence as one of its strategic priorities. The military requirements on cyber defence capabilities are inter alia to prepare for, prevent, detect, respond to, and recover from cyber-attacks. In June 2012, the EDA made an initial proposal for cooperative cyber defence training, exercises and testing under the Pooling & Sharing agenda.

Interoperability of cyber ranges will have a positive effect on cooperation among operational cyber defence systems, organisations and processes, thereby improving the effectiveness and efficiency of CSDP operations and multinational exercises.

The project will be carried out under the EU Pooling & Sharing agenda and aims at:

• Increasing availability of existing cyber range facilities;

• Increasing occupation rate and efficiency of existing cyber ranges and platforms;

• Mainstreaming and improving cyber defence training, exercises & testing at European level.

The military requirements approved now describe the way ahead through an EDA ad hoc project on cyber ranges in a spiral approach until 2018 (full operational capability). The concrete project arrangements are expected to be agreed by the working group by late 2015. The implementation and realisation phase is likely to start early 2016. 

 

More information:

• Cyber Defence project page

Graphene is a new material with a wide range of extraordinary properties (lightweight, high strength, thermal and electrical conductivity, etc.). It is widely expected to lead to new and improved applications for defence. On 2 June, 25 experts from Ministries of Defence, European entities, industry and academia participated in an EDA workshop to discuss current and future areas of application of graphene in defence at the Swedish Defence Research Agency FOI in Linköping.

Graphene has a wide number of potential applications interesting for defence such as advance camouflage systems and lighter or stronger protections. The objective of the workshop was to gather experts in related fields to discuss possible future defence applications and areas of applicability of graphene technologies. The discussion was focused on how to enhance composites and coatings by including graphene and on its possible use in adaptive camouflage, due to its thermal and electrical conductivity properties, and protection systems, based on its strength and low weight.

The outcomes of the workshop will be further analysed to identify how graphene technology can support the EDA Capability Development Plan (CDP), taking into account the Materials & Structures CapTech Strategic Research Agenda (SRA), and if possible, to create a technology roadmap towards achieving the required maturity of graphene based applications for defence.

(c) Picture: SAAB Barracuda

More information

• For further information, please contact GEM1@eda.europa.eu.
• Capability Development Plan project page

 

The European Defence Agency (EDA) recently published two calls for tender from operation EUFOR ALTHEA on its Contractor Support to Operations (CSO) platform. The signature of the cooperation arrangement with the ATHENA mechanism in March 2015 provides new impetus for the usage of the CSO platform.

Procuring customised assets such as armored vehicles or specific services (e.g. air to ground surveillance) can be challenging especially on short notice. EDA assists EU military operations in fulfilling their complex goods or services needs through the CSO platform, a powerful tool of interaction. The CSO platform connects economic operators and EU-led operations by for example actively promoting business opportunities. Economic operators are invited to subscribe to the platform database to receive information on business opportunities advertised by governmental and institutional authorities.

Currently operation EUFOR ALTHEA is looking for the provision of jet fuel distribution services and food, water and catering supply. Full description of the contract notice can be found at http://cso.eda.europa.eu/Pages/BusinessOpportunities.aspx.

 

Support to operations

Since the creation of the European Defence Agency in 2004, support to the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and to EU operations has been one of EDA's core missions. Several activities are now ongoing to develop the role of the Agency in support of CSDP military and civilian operations or missions as well as EU Battlegroups at the request of Member States.

Procurement of contracted solutions has become increasingly relevant for EU military operations not only to fill capability gaps in the force generation process, but also as a general planned support for ongoing operations.

The arrangement with ATHENA opens the option for the Athena Administrator or any Operation/Mission Commanders as Contracting Authorities to call upon EDA to provide, upon its expertise and available means and capabilities, technical and overall administrative support for procurement of infrastructure works, as well as a variety of services or supplies, through direct contracts or pre-mission solutions, e.g. through framework contracts.

The Agency plans to further upgrade the CSO platform to respond to new requirements and to turn the platform into an one-stop solution for procurement by operations. Regular updates for industry including a workshop are planned. 

(c) Picture: EUFOR ALTHEA/Herbert PENDL

More information:

• Support to operations project page
• News: "EDA signs cooperation arrangement with Athena" (2 March 2015)
• CSO platform (password required)

The latest flying event organised as part of the Helicopter Exercise Programme (HEP) was successfully conducted from 22 June to 3 July in Viterbo, Italy. More than 1000 personnel and 30 helicopters from seven countries attended this multinational training, the largest of its kind organised in Europe this year.

Over the course of Italian Blade 2015, 201 missions and 445 sorties were flown by the participants, accounting for a total of 618 flight hours. Missions of increasing complexity were conducted, with scenarios including air assault, close air support, combat search & rescue or medical evacuation.

 “Italy has provided great support to this year’s HEP exercise as host nation”, Andrew Gray, EDA Helicopter Programme Manager, underlines. “Next year the HEP will move to Finland for exercise Cold Blade, which will provide participants with a totally different yet very relevant training environment”, he adds.

To date, more than 350 crews and 200 helicopters have taken part in EDA-developed HEP exercises. The overall HEP project was endorsed at a Ministerial Steering Board in November 2009, and a formal programme arrangement was signed in November 2012 by 13 contributing Member States: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, the United Kingdom; as well as Norway.

More information

• Other EDA Helicopter Initiatives
• Italian Blade 2015 factsheet

 

Military working dogs (MWDs) are of great value in Counter-IED operations, and the pooling and sharing of this capability at the European level has long been a subject of discussion among C-IED experts. Late last month, the European Defence Agency organised the first Ad Hoc Working Group on MWDs at the Austrian Military Working Dogs School facilities of Kaisersteinbruch, in Austria.

Twenty-two participants from Austrian, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden gathered for three days  to discuss national capabilities and their respective level of ambition. The C-IED Centre of Excellence and representatives from academia also took part in the event.

Several training opportunities were also staged on the margins of the meeting. Four MWD teams (each comprising a dog and its handler) from Hungary and the Netherlands attended the event, as well as teams from host nation Austria. Capabilities of Labrador dogs were also demonstrated, while a full day was dedicated to training at the Austrian MWD school. Attendees took the opportunity to train teams with specific innovative explosive conditioning materials in a pure multi-national environment.

The Working Group also had the opportunity to receive lectures on innovative solutions for MWDs preparation as well as on previous operational deployment experiences and lessons learned. Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) experts from the Austrian Armed Forces provided support by preparing specific scenarios for military search performance by the teams.

Big interest was showed by all participants and planning for the next Ad Hoc Working group meeting is currently on-going. It is envisaged that MWDs teams will participate in further multi-national C-IED related exercises in 2016. Thus, such a capability will be fully included within the planning process and subsequent execution of C-IED related tasks at the mentioned events.

More information

• Counter-IED project page

EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq travelled to Spain yesterday to visit the Counter Improvised Explosive Devices Centre of Excellence (C-IED CoE), a multinational organisation with which the European Defence Agency is cooperating closely.

During the visit, Jorge Domecq received briefings from commander Colonel José Zamorano González as well as other C-IED CoE staff. Together they discussed the Centre’s missions and projects  as well as its current priorities in the field of information sharing, technology & development, and training.

In January 2015, a cooperation framework agreement was signed between the EDA and the C-IED CoE allowing for coherent progress in C-IED capability development initiatives and potential participation in joint projects. It will also avoid unnecessary duplication of efforts.

“The good cooperation we have in place with the C-IED CoE allows us to exchange lessons learned and enlarge the European C-IED community of interest, which ultimately benefits capability development in this crucial field with the aim of mitigating and/or preventing IED threats”, EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq stressed during the visit. “I expect our cooperation to grow based on our Member States’ needs for robust capabilities to fight improvised explosive devices in operations as well as in the homeland”, he added.

More information

• C-IED CoE website
• EDA C-IED project page

European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides visited the European Defence Agency today to exchange views and cooperation opportunities with EDA staff and top management.

The Commissioner started his visit with a meeting with EDA Chief Executive as well as the Agency’s top management, with whom he exchanged views on the EDA’s way of working, especially its role of interface with wider EU policies, as well as on current workstrands that might contribute to support Humanitarian missions and initiatives.

After the meeting, Commissioner Stylianides met with EDA project officers who briefed him on some of the Agency’s ongoing initiatives in the field of operations support, satellite communications or medical. Current EDA projects focusing on maritime surveillance, personnel recovery or airlift support to humanitarian missions were also discussed.

“A lot of activities and projects developed under the framework of the Agency have a potential dual-use role, and thus can be as useful in humanitarian missions as they are in high-intensity conflicts”, EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq commented during the visit. “As part of our close cooperation with the European Commission we stand ready to provide support  in areas of dual-use capabilities and dual-use research, while at the same time enhancing the pooling and sharing of capabilities”, he added.

More information

• Link to Commissioner Christos Stylianides' website
• Link to EDA Operations Support project page

Jorge Domecq, Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency (EDA), and Massimo Garbini, Managing Director of the SESAR Deployment Manager (SDM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Its purpose is to establish efficient cooperation and support between the two organisations with regard to SESAR deployment.

“Europe’s military fleets include some 9,500 diverse aircraft accounting for more than 150,000 flights each year. In other words, they form the single biggest ‘airline’ operating in Europe today. The challenges of the Single European Sky programme and the modernisation of European air traffic management are manifold. However, it is the role of the EDA to ensure that the European air forces will continue to have free and safe access to European airspace for training purposes, air-policing, as well as air defence missions. The financial and technological impacts of the programme need to be mitigated to ensure that they do not adversely affect European defence capabilities. Only through constructive cooperation between military and civil stakeholders, our shared vision of an efficient, safe and flexible European airspace can be realised. It is in this spirit that we sign the Memorandum of Understanding today”, said Jorge Domecq at the signature ceremony. 

Massimo Garbini, “This MoU reflects the kind of relationship we aim for with all stakeholders. Only through efficient cooperation and mutual support between both civil and military stakeholders, we can deliver the modernisation of European Air Traffic Management technology together.”

Memorandum of Understanding

The scope of the MoU covers the SESAR deployment of sets of functionalities in accordance with the relevant regulations1. The EDA and SDM will work together to support the Member States in translating the regulation into projects to be deployed nationally with financial support from the EU. The EDA will ensure that military viewpoints and needs are captured in the SESAR Deployment Programme and support the bidding and execution processes of the projects. At the same time, the Deployment Manager will coordinate with the military through the EDA to avoid any adverse impact on national and collective defence capabilities. This involves inter alia enabling and exploiting military contributions as well as optimising the use of expertise and avoiding duplications. The EDA and SDM also agree to put in place effective coordination procedures to ensure efficient synchronisation and the timely exchange of relevant information. A Steering Committee will be set up to ensure the effective functioning of the Memorandum.

 

Single European Sky ATM Research

The Single European Sky (SES) aims at realising the optimisation of the airspace organisation and management in Europe through a combination of technological, economic, and regulatory efforts. SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) is the technical pillar of this. SESAR involves developing a new ATM system to handle more traffic with greater safety and at a lower cost. Its new technologies and procedures will also seek to reduce the environmental impact of flying. The resulting efforts will be deployed in a synchronised manner involving all stakeholders, civil and military.

 

About SESAR Deployment Manager

SESAR Deployment Manager (SDM) is the industrial partnership that synchronises and coordinates the modernisation of Europe’s air traffic management system under the political oversight of the European Commission. The main task of the SESAR Deployment Manager is to develop, submit to the European Commission for its approval and execute the Deployment Programme, a project view strictly drawn from the Pilot Common Project (PCP) set by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 716/2014, as well as any subsequent Common Projects in future regulations. Through the Deployment Programme, the SESAR Deployment Manager will ensure efficient synchronisation and coordination of implementation projects required to implement the PCP, as well as the related investments. The tasks of the Deployment Manager are described in Article 9 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 409/2013.

 

Role of the EDA

In order to ensure that the effects on military aviation are understood and taken into account, Member States entrusted EDA with the task of facilitating the coordination of military views from and in support of Member States and relevant military organisations and to inform military planning mechanisms of the requirements stemming from SESAR deployment. In 2014, EDA established a dedicated SESAR Cell to ensure that the military views and requirements are taken into account in the implementation of SESAR.

 

More information

• Single European Sky project page
• SESAR Deployment Manager website

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1 Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No. 409/2013 and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 716/2014

The European Defence Agency has just launched a €1 million, 18-month feasibility study to prepare a future cooperative governmental satellite communications (Govsatcom) programme.

The study will be delivered by a consortium led by Euroconsult with Airbus Defence & Space, CGI, Istituto Affari Internazionali, Hisdesat and SpaceTec Partners working as subcontractors. This work is expected to be complemented by other studies funded by the European Space Agency (ESA). Some synergies are also expected with the work currently performed by the European Commission.

“This study will help us to find new ways to cooperate in a complex institutional setting”, EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq stated upon signing the study contract. “Considering that Govsatcom capabilities are inherently dual-use, one of the main objectives will be to identify an efficient, innovative and sustainable cooperation model in particular by implementing synergies with the Commission. This will certainly be reflected by a genuine governance of the system”, he added. 

“Government satellite communications are evolving, due to changes in operational requirements and to the availability of innovative and cost effective solutions serving these,” stated Euroconsult CEO Pacome Revillon. ”The international consortium combines expertise across the full satellite communications value chain, while the project governance will guarantee the independence and neutrality of the results. All partners are fully committed to delivering a study that lays the groundwork for future European capability,” he added. 

Govsatcom was identified in December 2013 by EU Heads of State and Government as one of four priorities for capability development, along with air-to-air refuelling, remotely piloted aircraft systems and cyber defence. 

Under the lead of Spain, a common staff target harmonising the needs of military users was adopted by all EDA Member States in 2014. Based on this commonly-agreed document, a preparation phase started ahead of the launch of a full-scale cooperative project. By the end of 2016, a business case including more detailed technical requirements as well as a through-life management plan should allow Member States to assess various options in terms of cooperation models and system architectures. These findings will be to a large extent supported by the outcome of the feasibility study.

 

More information:

• EDA Govsatcom capability programme 
• "Filling the gap in space capabilities", article in European Defence Matters, issue 8, p. 30

EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq travelled to Portugal yesterday to attend a Distinguished Visitors Day held during this year’s edition of the European Air Transport Training (EATT), a multinational training event gathering 15 military transport aircraft from 11 different European nations: Belgium, Germany, Finland, France, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Initiated by EDA, run by the European Air Transport Command and hosted by Portugal, EATT 15 takes place in Beja from 14 to 26 June. The EATT series of events aims to pool resources and share knowledge in order to develop comprehensive airlift training opportunities in Europe. Activities are based on national requirements and are designed to make the best use of multinational training opportunities.

“Exercises organised under the framework of the European Air Transport Fleet (EATF) keep proving their value over the years, with an increasing number of Member States and aircraft types taking part – for instance, we have six of the eight European military air transport aircraft types participating in EATT 15”, Jorge Domecq stressed during the DV Day. “Since 2011, more than 70 crews have benefitted from the training delivered during EATF live-flying events, effectively increasing interoperability between European armed forces”, he added.

“I also wish to underline the good cooperation between EDA, the European Air Transport Command as well as host nations – Portugal in this case – who all work very hard to enhance airlift capabilities in Europe and to make these events possible”, EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq stated.

The EATT series of training events form part of a wider ecosystem of EATF events that all converge towards the same objective of increasing the European Union’s airlift capabilities. In 2015, two editions of the European Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Course, or EAATTC, have already taken place in Bulgaria and France, with a third one planned for September in Spain. In the meantime, four European Advanced Tactical Instructor Courses (EATIC) will be organised in Italy this year.

More information

• EATT 15 dedicated website (Portuguese Air Force)
• EATT 15 Factsheet
• European Air Transport Fleet project page
• Exercises & training project page
• European Air Transport Command website

Earlier this month, at the Bakony Combat Training Centre in Hungary, the European Defence Agency attended exercise Capable Logistician 15. The event was coordinated by the Multinational Logistic Coordination Centre (MLCC) and supported by Hungary as host nation. Capable Logistician 15 provided the EDA with an opportunity to test its Sharing of Spare Parts (SoSP) mechanism and to prove the effectiveness of its operational procedures.

Sharing of Spare Parts (SoSP) is an initiative aimed at establishing a multinational framework for the request and provision of Mutual Logistic Support (MLS) in peacetime and during the execution of operations. MLS focuses on unforeseen and temporary shortages of common supplies as well as on in-service support for standard or specific equipment.

In this respect, Capable Logistician 15 offered a realistic scenario in which to simulate the lack of an appropriate level of logistic support - which in turn may have affected the operational effectiveness of a unit in the field. The unavailability of spare parts (in this simulated event, a transmission gear for land vehicles) has often caused serious problems in operations, especially where there is a particularly long logistic chain, where there are security considerations, or where similar collaborative solutions are not feasible or convenient.

The simulated application of the SoSP scheme allowed the exchange of spare parts between two units in the field which were using the same land vehicles.

More information

• Exercise Capable Logistician 2015
• Sharing of Spare Parts project page

 

More than 30 helicopters and 1000 military personnel have gathered 80 kilometers north of Rome for Italian Blade 2015, this year’s largest military rotary-wing exercise in Europe. Crews from seven different countries have started training together yesterday using joint procedures and tactics during missions of increasing complexity.

After three successful live-flying events hosted by Portugal from 2012 to 2014, the EDA-developed Helicopter Exercise Programme (HEP) has moved to Italy this year. More than 1000 military personnel and 30 helicopters coming from seven nations are taking part in Italian Blade 2015. The exercise is delivered by the Italian Army Aviation in Viterbo, about 80 km north of Rome. 

During two weeks, helicopter crews as well as ground forces will take part in joint missions during which efforts will be made to maximise interoperability between all assets involved. They will fly and operate in conditions likely to be faced in future operations, while promoting cooperation in helicopter training through the integration of multinational elements in the air and on the ground.

Mentor team

A mentor team of six instructors from Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom will support multinational crews in the preparation and execution of complex missions. The team will be managed by an EDA Chief Instructor, serving officer of the UK Royal Air Force, who will ensure consistency of the output as well as proper exchange of lessons learned during other EDA-organised training events, namely the Helicopter Tactics Course (HTC) and the Helicopter Tactics Instructor Course (HTIC), which also contribute to increasing the overall availability of European military helicopters.
 

More information

• Pictures of the exercise are available on our Flickr gallery
• Helicopter initiatives project page
• EDA exercises & training
• Italian Blade 2015 factsheet

With the exception of Poland, all EDA participating Member States as well as Norway have decided to subscribe to and therefore participate in the implementation of the Code of Conduct on REACH Defence Exemptions which was adopted in March 2015.

This new milestone highlights the importance of harmonising national defence exemption procedures. Poland is still conducting an internal analysis towards a final decision regarding its subscription to the Code of Conduct.

A harmonised approach towards national REACH defence exemptions will contribute to a level playing field for European defence industries, reducing their administrative burden and related costs. It will also support the creation of an open and transparent European Defence Equipment Market and a capable and capability-driven European Defence Technological and Industrial Base, providing armed forces with the right defence equipment to meet their operational requirements.

In coming years the EDA will act as a facilitator to support national implementation and application of the CoC in practice, by the Member States.

 

More information

• EDA's project page on REACH
• EDA Code of Conduct (CoC) on REACH Defence Exemptions
• Annex to CoC - Framework for Applying for a Defence Exemption from a Requirement of REACH