EDA News

The European Defence Agency (EDA) has kicked-off a new research project, led by Spain and in collaboration with Germany, to develop an automatic air-to-air refuelling (A3R) operation with the hose and drogue system. The two-year EDA project which has a budget of €4 million, will involve an industry consortium of Airbus Defence and Space (Spain and Germany), GMV, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and AES Technology (Germany). A limited number of flight tests will be carried out in 2024 with an Airbus A330 MRTT tanker and Tornado aircraft provided by the two participating countries.

Innovation in the air

Air-to-Air Refuelling (AAR) is one of the main pillars of air mobility and a key force multiplier. AAR is an operation that demands tanker and receiver pilots operate in close formation, flying in variable flight conditions, during the day or at night and performing high precision manoeuvres to achieve the contact. While the hose and drogue system of AAR operations has evolved in terms of new systems that provide better information to the Tanker Operator and better operational awareness, the way in which the refuelling is performed has been the same for the last 70 years. For instance, there have not been substantial improvements in providing greater assistance to the aircraft involved, in the different phases of the AAR operation.

Although nowadays the success rate of the hose and drogue contacts is high, the impact of unsuccessful contact is significant, often resulting in mission cancellations, damage to assets and hindering operational effectiveness. In view of maximising its operation effectiveness, introducing innovative automation features to the AAR systems will provide new ways to better assist the aircraft during this operation and will increase the success rate of AAR missions.

The feasibility of greater AAR automation has already been shown by Airbus when achieving a fully automatic contact with the boom system in 2020, and recent certification in 2022 of a fully automatic boom. Launching research into the hose and drogue system will prepare air-to-air refuelling tankers, such as A330 MRTT, A400M or C295, to cope with more demanding operations and be ready for the next generation of unmanned platforms.

A3R: Trade-offs, Technology and new Concepts of Operation

The first phase of the project is focused on the technology trade-off, which will be needed to perform the future automation of the operation, such as the levels of automation or assistance to be implemented for manned and/or unmanned platforms.

The technologies will be evaluated, prototyped and tested in real scenarios such as flight test. This will allow the proper identification and tracking of the hose and drogue system and the receiver aircraft. The technical gaps to be addressed will include sensors, computing capability and suitability in all weather conditions.

A simulation environment will also be developed to evaluate the optimum trajectory of the receiver aircraft towards the drogue, analysing the interaction between them. Technology gaps have already been identified around the data/communication link needed between the tanker and the receiver aircraft and how factors such as latency, integrity or accuracy of the data could affect it.

Within the current project plan, a concept to increase the drogue’s stabilisation will be developed, also evaluated in a representative environment such as in a wind tunnel.

Lastly, the project will also align this technological development with operational needs, and explore new ways of performing the AAR operation to increase its efficiency and within new scenarios to be considered in the future.

Background

The project started in December 2022 and is executed under the CapTech Aerial Systems of the European Defence Agency. More information here. 

 

EDA’s Tactical Personnel Recovery Mission Simulator (TPRMS) has achieved Full Operational Capability (FOC) on 7 December. The TPRMS is used for rehearsing Personnel Recovery missions, tactics, techniques and procedures usually considered too risky to be practiced in live training events. 

TPRMS consists of twenty posts that replicates the elements of the Personnel Recovery (PR) Forces package (rotary and fixed air-wings crew, land soldier and crew of land combat vehicles, PR planners) employed when conducting military operations. Located at the Italian Air Force Base Poggio Renatico, the achievement of FOC completes the TPRMS project that begun in April 2019 with its initial set-up and subsequent declaration of Initial Operational Capability in November 2021.

EDA Chief Executive, Jiri SEDIVY, said; “TPRMS is a major achievement for European defence cooperation and the personnel recovery community. The simulator is a unique and powerful training capability to enhance European expertise in Personnel Recovery through the innovative use of training simulations, an expertise that has clear operational value in most difficult threat environments.” 
 
FOC Ceremony 

 The FOC ceremony, held on 7 December, was attended by representatives from eight Member States (AT, CY, DE, HU, IT, PO, RO and SE) and five international organisations with proven expertise on PR (EPRC/ European Personnel Recovery Centre, US JPRA/Joint Personnel Recovery Agency and NATO JAPCC/Joint Air Power Competence Centre, CASPOA/Air Operations Centre of Excellence and CAOC/Centre of Combat Air Operations UEDEM). 

On this occasion, an ITAF team presented a live-demo training session within the TPRMS by using a special designed Virtual Reality (VR) scenario, showcasing TPRMS performances and familiarisation with the VR technology. 

Pilot Course

On the same day, and as a direct follow up to the TPRMS FOC, a new EDA project, TPRMS Pilot Course, kicked off. Coupled together, they mark a major step towards to the creation of a European common approach in how PR forces gear up for an upcoming deployment or conduct PR mission rehearsals. 

 

Under the European Cyberspace Situational Awareness Platform (ECYSAP) project, the European Defence Agency (EDA) has recently signed a new implementing contract with a nine-member industrial consortium, led by Indra. To increase European cyberspace situational awareness, EDA is supporting four contributing Member States as the project manager of the ECYSAP project. The contract is an important step forward for the project, as it implements contributing Member States’ co-financing of the ECYSAP action launched under the European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP).

Enabling real-time Cyber Situational Awareness

Armed forces increasingly rely on the ability to operate in cyberspace across the entire spectrum of cyber operations. Today, cyber awareness is a crucial aspect of modern operations, given the rise in cyber threats and the potential significant impact of a cyber-attack. The main objective of the ECYSAP project is to develop and implement a European operational platform for enabling real-time cyber situational awareness for both national and European Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) operations.

It will provide military end-users with rapid response defensive capabilities and decision-making support. Indeed, an integrated and modular Cyber Situational Awareness (CSA) picture for national and European CSDP operations will be developed, which shall become a real-time defensive system capable of providing an automated cyber response and deployable in the same area of operations interconnected between envisaged and identified intelligent nodes.

ECYSAP is co-financed by the European Commission (under EDIDP) and four contributing Member States: Estonia, France, Italy, and Spain. It is developed in parallel with the ESC2 project which aims at the creation of a European Strategic Command and Control system from strategic to tactical level.

Background

The signature of the ECYSAP Project Arrangement was completed in December 2021. The most recent step came with the signature of the relevant implementing contract with the nine-member industrial consortium comprising Indra, Leonardo, Airbus Cybersecurity, Cybernetica, Innotec System, S2 Grupo, the Polytechnic University of Madrid, the Polytechnic University of Valencia and University “Carlos III” of Madrid.

The signature is conducted under the EDA’s “ad-hoc legal framework” to accommodate the project’s complex co-funding structure in compliance with applicable project- and security- management rules, and conducted in compliance with of Regulation 2018/1092 establishing the European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP), the European Defence Fund (EDF) precursor for development of defence products and technologies.

The successful signature of the implementing contract highlights the unique role and expertise of EDA in the management of strategic European projects that rely on co-funding between EU institutions and Member States and paves the way for a similar construct under development actions co-funded  by the EDF.

Today, the European Commission, the European Defence Agency (EDA) and the Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation (OCCAR) signed Contribution Agreements to delegate the implementation, under indirect management, of four strategic defence projects under the European Defence Fund. 

For EDA, the agreements involve two research projects:

ARTURO - The project ARTURO will provide a solution to fulfil future operational needs for advanced radar technologies in Europe.

ECOBALLIFE - The project ECOBALLIFE will research eco-designed ballistic systems for durable lightweight protection against current and new threats in platform and personal applications.

For OCCAR, the agreements involve two development projects:

European Patrol Corvette (EPC) - The EPC will focus on the initial phase of a European innovative, modular, flexible, interoperable, green, multirole vessel, enabling European navies to face the 21st century challenges. 

European Hypersonic Defence Interceptor (EU-HYDEF) - The project EU HYDEF will define the concept for a European Interceptor to achieve the highest maneuverability and capability to respond to high velocity threats.

Selected under the €1.2 billion European Defence Fund 2021 calls for proposals, these projects are highly important for the development of key EU defence and technological capabilities. The EU funding contribution to these four projects amounts to €190 million (almost 17% of the total EDF 2021 budget).

The signing ceremony was attended by Timo Pesonen, Director-General of DG DEFIS; Jiří Šedivý, EDA Chief Executive; and Matteo Bisceglia, OCCAR EA Director.

During the ceremony, they stated:

“This Contribution Agreement is an excellent opportunity for the European Commission and EDA to join forces and expertise, unlock synergies and build mutual trust again after the Pilot Project and the Preparatory Action on Defence Research (PADR). This agreement can also pave the way for a continuous long-term cooperation, based on the governance framework and taking advantage of expertise and resources of the two organisations.” - Jiří Šedivý, EDA Chief Executive.

 “The collaboration with the EDA and OCCAR under the EDF's precursor programmes EDIDP and PADR has already proven to be fruitful. The high-level expertise of both the EDA and OCCAR is crucial to implement projects of a very strategic nature and help to make the implementation of the European Defence Fund a resounding success. That is why the Commission is very happy to continue to work together to show the EU Defence community that cooperation among European/International Institutions is active in delivering tangible capabilities through EDF.” - Timo Pesonen, Director-General of DG DEFIS, European Commission.

“I strongly share the objective that cooperation between OCCAR and the Commission should grow more and more in order to strengthen the European Defence Industry and to assist Europe in making its defence environment more independent from our strategic partner across the Atlantic.” - Matteo Bisceglia, OCCAR EA Director.

Background and More Information

With the adoption, on 2 December 2022, of the first award of 61 projects supported by the European Defence Fund (EDF), the Commission has approved an investment of around €1.2 billion in collaborative defence research and development projects. Read the individual project factsheets and general information on the EDF 2021 calls for proposals results here.

Share My Space, a ‘NewSpace’ company founded in 2017 and part of the emerging commercial space industry, wins this year's European Defence Agency (EDA) Defence Innovation Prize. This year’s €30,000 prize focused on space-based surveillance and reconnaissance defence technologies. It was awarded to Share My Space at EDA's annual conference in Brussels on 8 December, 2022.

Most space debris is tracked from earth and relies  on  NASA  and  the  U.S.  Department  of  Defence’s  Space  Surveillance  Network,  as  well  as  the  U.S.  Air  Force’s  space-tracking  system  that  uses  ground-based  sensors.  In  Europe,  Toulouse-based  company  Share  My Space is among a small group of private companies   offering   the   service,   tracking   artificial  satellites  and  space  debris,  using  its ground-based telescopes.

But  it  wants  to  go  one  step  further.  With  the  help  of  EDA,  it  could  develop  a  project  to   put   12   microsatellites   into  space   to   monitor   space   junk   with much   greater   accuracy.  If  successful,  every  90  minutes, the  satellites  would  be  able  to  send  back  a  full  scan  of  a  region  in  space  and  allow  companies  to  make  trajectory  decisions.  “No  sensor  at  ground  level  can  give  that  kind  of  precision,”  says  Norbert  Pouzin,  a  Spaceflight Dynamics Engineer at Share My Space.  “To  have  precise  and  accurate  data  on  all  orbits,  at  a  high  time-frequency,  you  need  the  combination  of  a  ground-based  and  space-based  observation  system.  A  surveillance  constellation  will  only  be  high-performance  with  a  full  network  of  ground-based sensors linked to it,” Pouzin says.

Collisions are not  theoretical     either.   According  to  the  European  Space  Agency,  the   first-ever   accidental   in-orbit   collision   between two satellites occurred in February 2009   above   Siberia,   when   a   privately-owned      U.S.      communication satellite, Iridium-33,  and  a  Russian  military  satellite,  Kosmos2251, collided. Both were destroyed.

The   microsatellites   form   the   essence   of   Share   My   Space’s   winning  proposal for   the  EDA’s  2022  Innovation  Prize.  While  the  €30,000  prize  money  can  only  be  seed  money    considering    the    potential    €720    million  cost  of  the  project,  it  does  bring  the    company    publicity    and    credibility,    Pouzin  says.  “It  shows  we  have  the  know-how  and  will  help  us  put  this  proposal  at  the  ministerial  level  in  France,  and  at  the  European level.”

Competitive field

Share  My  Space’s  proposal  involves  sending  up  the  microsatellites  with  three  crucial pieces of technology: a narrow field of view photo sensor telescope, a ‘fish-eye’ wide  angle  camera,  and  a  laser  to  track  objects. If Share My Space could secure an EDA-led  project  with  funding  from  Member  States,  it  would  likely  create  a  consortium  to build the satellites – a so-called Category B  project  that  would  allow  Member  States  to  opt-in  to  the  project  and  in  which  only  participating   states would   pay   towards   the  costs  of  the  project.  Share  My  Space  is   working   on the   basis   of   a   30-month   development cycle, with a five-year mission.

As in previous years, EDA’s Innovation Prize competition was very high, not just in terms of  the  number  of  proposals  –  15  in  all  –  but  also in terms of quality. “This year, we added an  incentive  to  promote  the  participation  of   small   and   medium-sized enterprises, including   start-ups,   and   give   them   the   opportunity     to     bring  their     innovative     proposals to the defence sector,” says Jean-François Ripoche, EDA Director for Research, Technology and Innovation (RTI).

Ripoche  says  that  Share  My  Space  was  selected   because   “it   proved   to   be  very   innovative,  proposing  a  solution  based  on  a  dedicated  satellites’  constellation  which  would  provide  more  continuous  coverage  and high accuracy position of the detected objects. By combining this architecture and the  latest  optical  sensors  technology,  this  proposal will put EU defence at the forefront in  space  surveillance.  ”As  the  amount  of  space junk is set to steadily increase, Share My  Space’s  proposal  could  not  have  come  sooner. 

A full version of this article is available in EDA's magazine European Defence Matters, Edition 24.

Act fast. Face up to war in Ukraine. Prepare for 2040. Those were the messages from industry panelists and experts gathered on Thursday to discuss strategic autonomy and defence industrial gaps at the European Defence Agency (EDA) annual conference.

As years of underspending take their toll on Europe’s defence capacities, Member States face the challenge not only of building back their armed forces but ensuring a certain level of strategic autonomy - relying less on the United States. That burden also falls on the European defence industry that has long been geared to peacetime production, the panel heard.

“The war in Ukraine has highlighted our capability shortfalls,” said Jean-Pierre Maulny, Deputy Director, French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs (IRIS). “The United States has larger stocks of anti-tank missiles and air defence systems. Sometimes we in Europe don’t do more because we cannot do more,” he told the panel.

In the search for more self-reliance, Tuija Karanko, Secretary General, Association of Finnish Defence and Aerospace Industries, reminded the 300 participants in Brussels and the 1,000 registered online viewers that: “all the military people in this room have known about their gaps for many years … We need more of that transparency.”

For industry, strategic autonomy needs to exist at different levels, but that is difficult because the EU cannot control everything at every level. “We are not fully autonomous because we have key companies depending on third parties,” said Pablo Gonzalez, Director NATO and EU Defence & Space, Indra. There is a need for younger, skilled engineers, the panel heard.

So what to do? More European collaboration will lower costs, as well as joint research and joint development. Joint procurement for strategic assets made in Europe could help. But having a “Buy European” law, as in the United States, brings risks of isolation for the European continent, Karanko said.

For Laurynas Šatas, Chief Executive at Aktyvus Photonics, Europe has the potential to improve, but there is a need for more emphasis on the defence sector. As a Lithuanian laser company, Aktyvus Photonics is an example of a small- and medium-sized company that would benefit from a better environment with less European bureaucracy to bridge ambition and reality as it seeks to pass innovation up to bigger companies. “We have the intellectual capacity. Tomorrow is in our hands,” he said.

European armed forces are not fully prepared for a large-scale conflict with Russia, Major General Karel Řehka, Chief of Defence, Czech Republic, told the European Defence Agency (EDA) annual conference on Thursday. “We must primarily prepare for the most difficult and most dangerous scenario: that is the large-scale war against an advanced adversary,” General Řehka told the conference. Despite EU support to Ukraine, the Union must also do more for Kyiv, he said. “If Ukraine does not succeed, our security will be at risk for decades.”

Joint procurement to replenish weapons' stocks is central to that. “The area of joint procurement has already proved its added-value. And EDA has expertise for this,” he said.

"When it comes to military capabilities I need the following: I need timely delivery of military equipment, I need interoperability of systems on the battlefield. And I also need the possibility of gradual upgrades throughout the whole lifecycle, especially with the speed of changing technologies," General Řehka said. 

In his keynote speech to 300 participants at EDA’s annual gathering in Brussels, as well as some 1,000 registered online, General Řehka also urged the European defence community to consider the future. EU Member States must focus on advanced weapons’ systems for a horizon of three decades' time. “We have faced strategic shocks every 10 to 15 years. So it would be very naïve to think that would not happen again,” General Řehka warned.

 

HYBRID THREATS

Shining a spotlight on transatlantic ties, EDA's Chief Executive Jiří Šedivý discussed security and defence cooperation with Ambassador Julianne Smith, the United States' Permanent Representative to NATO, who stressed the need for resilience and adaptation to hybrid threats, particularly from Russia and China. "I think the priority for us is really looking at ways in which we can come together to address some of these hybrid tactics that nations around the world are increasingly relying on," Ambassador Smith said. 

In a later panel debate moderated by EDA’s Deputy Chief Executive Olli Ruutu, senior officials also discussed how to develop, procure and operate together. Stacy A Cummings, General Manager at NATO’s Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), cautioned that, despite the war in Ukraine, governments were still not coming together as one to coordinate and agree a single contract for the defence industry.

She said that in the area of ammunition, countries are “coming to us individually to give a demand signal for a specific type of ammunition. The nations are coming one at a time. What we need is a convening mechanism.” Cummings said she hoped to see that change in the next five years across the defence spectrum as processes and policy adapt from peacetime to the more demanding security environment. “We can’t afford to invest in individual solutions.”

Kim Jorgensen, Director-General and Permanent Representative to the EU at the European Investment Bank, made a pledge for an end to duplication.  But he said that there were constraints on where the bank can invest when it comes to defence. “In the area of military mobility, we can see a big role for us,” he said, referring to EDA-led work on standardising cross-border military transport procedures.

Vice Admiral Arie Jan de Waard, National Armaments Director and Director of the Defence Materiel Organisation, the Netherlands, was also clear at the conference on the need for collaboration, saying: “Don’t duplicate. Do it (develop weapons) with EDA, do it with NSPA. Strive for interoperability. Use the same systems.”

Timo Pesonen, Director General, DG DEFIS, European Commission, said he welcomed the political guidance at the highest political level on defence. He urged for the EU to press forward on innovation, highlighting EDA’s innovation hub. “We need to have a common programme with Member States and EDA to attract young engineers and change the image of the defence industry.”

 

Swedish Minister of Defence Pål Jonson laid out on Thursday Sweden’s aims for its Presidency of the Council of the European Union from January, focusing on the EU's Strategic Compass, support for Ukraine and partnerships with non-EU countries.  “Europe needs to be a stronger security actor,” Minister Jonson said. “To my mind, there is no zero-sum game for a stronger NATO and a stronger EU,” he asserted.

Speaking at EDA’s annual conference “Investing in European Defence”, Minister Jonson also said his country continued to push for full NATO membership to help protect Europe from Russian revanchism. He also warned not to repeat the mistakes of the past in collaboration, saying there were lessons to be learned from the “graveyard of failures” in international defence cooperation.

“This is one of the most critical situations for European security since the end of the Second World War,” Minister Jonson told the conference, which brought together some 1,300 participants in Brussels and online.  “This raises a lot of new questions for us, both in regard to our capabilities and our defence industrial base,” he said.

In a ministerial panel chaired by EDA Chief Executive Jiří Šedivý, Jan Jireš, Deputy Minister for Defence Policy and Strategy, Czech Republic, detailed the progress during the Czech EU presidency on joint procurement. "Joint procurement can take many forms. Look at what we are doing with Slovakia, together buying from Sweden. This is not, strictly speaking, joint procurement. But we are cooperating, trying to coordinate. And there are many benefits," Deputy Minister Jireš said.

STANDARDISATION, JOINT PROCUREMENT ARE CRUCIAL

Greece’s Minister of Defence Nikolaos Panaiotopoulos also expressed his support for more European cooperation, echoing a growing sentiment by saying “if not now, then when?” “For many Member States, we will terminate the use of obsolete Russian and Soviet weapons listed in all our systems. Now is the opportunity for newly-produced capabilities in the EU,” Minister Panaiotopoulos said, highlighting the revival of shipbuilding in Greece. "I think the world is in flux. I think we are facing a not-so-subtle attack on the notion of our Western societies. We need to take that into consideration now and act with one sense of urgency," he said.

For Sweden, maintaining the EU’s support for Ukraine remains a priority, Minister Jonson said, emphasizing the need to use existing EU initiatives. He also spoke of developing standardisation of arms and ammunition, harmonising of requirements and joint procurement as the EU seeks to provide Kyiv with the capabilities it needs to fight Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“We always say that we are a big, small country. But we try to lead by example, we launched our support package for the Ukraine just two weeks ago,” Minister Jonson said. “It is crucial that Ukraine regains its territorial sovereignty,” he said.

Minister Jonson said the Swedish EU presidency would focus on taking forward the Strategic Compass, particularly in cyber and space. Working close with the United States, Canada and Britain, as non-EU countries, will be a critical part of the Swedish EU presidency, he said.

Europe needs to take more responsibility for its own security, and look not just to the war in Ukraine but face up to future threats, Head of the European Defence Agency (EDA), High Representative Josep Borrell said on Thursday. Speaking at EDA’s annual conference in Brussels, Borrell called on Member States to cooperate more to equip Member States with the defence capacities the European Union needs.

At the forum, “Investing in European Defence”, Head of Agency Borrell said the EU was also at a turning point in defence spending, after the EU’s Member States surpassed the €200 billion-level in 2021 for the first time. Borrell presented EDA defence data for 2021.

“After the Cold War, we shrunk our forces to small-size armies without coordination … We lack critical defence capabilities,” Borrell said. “We have to compensate years of underspending”, he told the conference.

“Total defence expenditure that Member States have announced will grow by another €70 billion in the next three years,” Borrell said. “But people don’t fight with banknotes. There’s a lot of work to be done. This is going to be a challenge to spend this money in a coordinated manner. If our national decisions are only focusing on present needs … it will be again a fragmented European capability landscape.”

Speaking to the EU defence community, with some 300 participants at the Brussels venue and many more following online, Borrell said we need to find the right balance between responding to present needs and preparing for future threats.

Borrell outlined the positive trends but underscored the risks. “We are facing real threats, close by and likely to get worse,” Borrell said.

EDA READY TO SUPPORT PROCUREMENT

Defence investments in the EU reached a record level of €52 billion in 2021, making up almost a quarter of total defence spending. For the third year in a row, EU Member States collectively met and went beyond the 20% agreed benchmark. Nineteen Member States reached the benchmark, the highest number since EDA started collecting data, and five more than in 2020.

But even if collaborative defence equipment procurement rose to 18% of total spending on equipment from 11% in 2020, “we are still far below the 35% agreed benchmark,” Borrell said.

Borrell told the conference that EDA stands ready to support the actual procurement, or even act as contracting agent, if Member States so wish. The Agency has the legal basis and experience to do so

The EU needs to address short term needs by investing and procuring jointly. “Put simply: buying more together,” Borrell said.

EDA Chief Executive Jiří Šedivý also told the conference that Europe must ramp up its capacity to act militarily – because EU citizens want it. “Our citizens want and expect us to act. A recent flash Eurobarometer survey that three quarters of Europeans say that ‘we need grater military cooperation within the EU.’

Brussels, 8 December 2022. The European Defence Agency (EDA) has today published its annual Defence Data report for 2020-2021, detailing defence spending by the 26 EDA Member States. In 2021, total European defence spending stood at a new high of €214 billion, marking a further 6% increase on 2020 and the seventh year of consecutive growth. EDA’s report finds that Member States are investing more than ever on the procurement of defence equipment and research and development with a 16% rise compared to 2020, totalling a record €52 billion.

RECORD EUROPEAN DEFENCE EXPENDITURE & INVESTMENT

At €214 billion, total defence expenditure corresponds to 1.5% of the 26 EDA Member States’ gross domestic product (GDP), the same as recorded in 2020. The 6% rise in spending compared to 2020, marks the strongest yearly growth rate since the rebound started in 2015 following the financial crisis. Compared to the historic low reached in 2014, defence expenditure has increased by almost €52 billion, or 32% in real terms.

EDA’s Defence Data report finds that the sustained increase in overall spending is also reflected in national numbers. In 2021, of the 18 Member States who increased spending, six raised it by 10% or more. The highest increases amounted to more than €4 billion by Italy in absolute terms and a 42%, 33% and 27%, increase in relative terms by Finland, Greece and Slovenia respectively. However, eight Member States reduced spending, with the largest national cut standing at 15% in relative terms.

EDA’s Defence Data report concludes that defence expenditure has globally resisted the economic impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Member States’ announcements following Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine signals that the increases in expenditure are likely to continue in the years ahead.

HR/VP and Head of the European Defence Agency Josep Borrell said: “European defence cooperation has come a long way. However, too little is spent in cooperation. As Member States increase their defence expenditure in defence, cooperation must now become the norm. We have built the cooperation frameworks to make this happen. Spending alone is not enough, we need to do it better, and that means doing it together. This is the only way to effectively equip European armed forces for the challenges ahead.”

REBOUND IN COLLABORATIVE EUROPEAN DEFENCE SPENDING 

The significant increase in defence spending has also translated into an appreciable rise in collaborative European spending, but still well below agreed collective benchmarks. In 2021, Member States allocated a record €7.9 billion to European collaborative defence equipment procurement projects, almost double the €4.1 billion recorded in 2020.

Spending on European collaborative defence equipment procurement in 2021 accounted for 18% of total defence equipment procurement, an increase on the 11% in 2020. A contributing factor is also the higher number of Member States who provided data in 2021 compared to 2020. The 35% European collaborative defence equipment procurement benchmark, which is also a commitment under the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), remains out of reach and will require almost doubling current investment in this area to reach the benchmark, which translates to €15.1 billion.

EUROPEAN DEFENCE SPENDING - 2021 KEY FINDINGS

EDA’s report, based on data voluntarily provided by 26 Ministries of Defence, also finds that total defence expenditure represented 2.9% of total government expenditure. Additional findings include:

• Of the €52 billion spent on defence investments, 82% or €43 billion were used for equipment procurement and 18% or €9 billion for research and development. This is a similar percentage split as recorded over the past three years.
• Defence research and technology spending is uneven across Member States, with 13 increasing, 12 decreasing, and one unchanged. Standing at 3.7% of total expenditure on R&T, Germany has the highest allocation of the 26 Member States in this area.

INCREASED INVESTMENT IN DEFENCE RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY BUT COOPERATION LAGS

In 2021, defence Research and Technology (R&T) spending amounted to €3.6 billion, marking a massive 41% increase compared to 2020 and a new EDA recorded high. Compared to the historic low in spending reached in 2016, expenditure for defence R&T almost tripled. In 2021, over €1 billion extra was allocated, putting the 2% agreed benchmark within reach, but falling short at 1.7%. However, the trend is driven by Germany and France, which are responsible for more than 80% of the total defence R&T expenditure. As in 2020, they remain the only two Member States to reach the 2% benchmark.

In 2021, Member States spent €248 million on defence R&T projects in cooperation with other EU states, marking the first significant growth in this area since several years, totalling almost 70% compared to 2020. Nevertheless, expenditure lags compared to the high of €477 million recorded in 2008. Today, just 7% of total defence R&T expenditure is spent in cooperation, the second lowest recorded by EDA, and far from the 20% collective benchmark.

BACKGROUND

EDA collects defence data on an annual basis, and has done so since 2006, in line with the Agency’s Ministerial Steering Board Decision of November 2005. The Ministries of Defence of the Agency’s 26 Member States provide the data. EDA acts as the custodian of the data and publishes the aggregated figures in its booklets.

All data is collated (“total incorporates 26 EDA Member States”), and it has been rounded. Defence expenditure figures are provided in constant 2021 prices, to take inflation into account and allow for a comparison across years.

Notes for editors

1. EDA Defence Data Report 2020-2021
2. EDA Defence Data webpage
3. The European Defence Agency (EDA), the hub for European defence cooperation:
   1. Created in 2004 to support and facilitate defence cooperation in Europe, EDA has become the place where countries willing to develop their defence capabilities collaboratively can do so.
   2. EDA’s expertise and activities cover the whole spectrum of cooperation: from harmonising requirements to delivering operational capabilities; from research & technology (R&T) and innovation to developing technology demonstrators; from training and exercises to support to CSDP operations.
   3. EDA also closely engages with the European defence industry to enhance Europe’s defence technological and industrial base and help make the industry stronger and more competitive.
   4. The Agency’s role and impact have constantly grown, especially with the implementation of the EU’s Global Strategy (2016) which also led Member States to reinforce the Agency’s mission in 2017.
4. Follow #EUdefence on social media (Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube) for more and visit our website www.eda.europa.eu.

 

PRESS CONTACTS EDA

Elisabeth SCHOEFFMANN

Head of Media & Communication

Tel: +32 470 87 01 65

Paul QUINN

Media & Communications Officer

Tel: +32 2 504 28 24

 

NEW ISSUE

"Investing in European defence. Today's promises, tomorrow's capabilities?"

The brand-new issue of European Defence Matters - the European Defence Agency's flagship magazine - is here! Read our digital magazine, as both a Webzine with a selection of articles, and the full PDF online.

With Russia's invasion of Ukraine underlining shortfalls in European defence after years of underinvestment, Edition 24 of European Defence Matters explores how EU Member States and industry are responding, and why defence cooperation has never been more important.

Including interviews with EDA Head Josep Borrell, Germany's Minister of Defence Christine Lambrecht and Rheinmetall's Chief Executive Armin Papperger, our European Defence Matters magazine looks at how EU defence spending is rising at a historic pace but could be wasted without European collaboration. We debate whether the next steps in EU defence cooperation reveal a coherent unity of vision that can provide a springboard to success.

Whether it is Germany's 'Zeitenwende', or the Czech EU presidency's progress on new EU defence initiatives, we hear from top officials and experts, look at the EU's annual defence review, and the Permanent Structured Cooperation five years on, as well as focusing on the latest EDA projects in drone safety.

In an exclusive interview for European Defence Matters, the head of the European Peace Facility talks about how the instrument has broken taboos and strengthened EU unity. We also look at how Ukraine's diplomatic operation is faring under the strain of war, and talk to three European companies innovating with help from the European Defence Fund.

Check out too our EU defence history timeline.

Enjoy the read!

Robin Emmott, editor-in-chief

More than 150 experts from 29 European countries, as well as different institutions and organisations participated in the fifth conference of the third phase of the Consultation Forum for Sustainable Energy in the Defence and Security Sector (CF SEDSS III) in Prague, reaffirming the Consultation Forum's status as the largest European defence energy community. 

The European Defence Agency (EDA) organised the fifth CF SEDSS III conference from 30 November to 1 December 2022 under the auspices of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU). It was hosted by the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic. During the conference, the forum showed the way ahead to support the defence energy transition, ranging from behavioural change models to climate change proofing and energy resilience. The forum’s output also contributed to implementing broader EU actions, including the EU’s Climate Change and Defence Roadmap, Member States’ defence strategies for climate change adaptability, the EU’s offshore energy strategy, and the Action Plan on Military Mobility. 

Accelerating energy transition in defence

The conference opened with speeches by Jan Jireš, Deputy Minister for Defence Policy and Strategy at the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic, and Jiří Šedivý, EDA Chief Executive. Ms Eva Horelová, Deputy Head of Mission, European Commission Representation in the Czech Republic, gave a keynote speech. 

Czech Deputy Minister for Defence Policy and Strategy Jan Jireš underlined that “it is our responsibility to contribute to the overall effort of European countries and to enhance the energy efficiency of the defence sector. And we have to do it without reducing the operational effectiveness of our forces.”  

Jireš also said: “I see two main implications of climate change for our security. First, it will alter the character, scale and geography of future conflicts. Second, it will force us to adapt our defence capabilities. However, they also foster opportunities to look for new and innovative solutions to the same old goal, which is making our world safe and sustainable”. 

In his speech, Mr Šedivý highlighted that the Consultation Forum “has become Europe’s beacon in promoting sustainable energy in defence and generating collaborative ideas to close shared gaps”. He emphasised that the “forum’s findings are helping the ministries of defence to develop national strategies to prepare the armed forces for climate change”. 

Likewise, they will underpin the implementation of the EU’s Action Plan on Military Mobility, he said “by presenting opportunities for using renewables in military transport, for instance through hydrogen”.  

Mr Šedivý said that EDA had launched its first project funded under Horizon Europe, called Symbiosis. He noted that this project “is a successful outcome of the forum, aiming to improve coexistence between defence and offshore renewable energy developments”.  

Mr Šedivý also welcomed that the Greek and Italian ministries of defence for finalising, respectively, the project ideas on military behaviour and façade refurbishment, which will now seek EU funding for the next steps. He concluded by noting the efforts of the forum and the Joint Research Centre, who have jointly completed a research study on the impacts of climate change on defence-related critical energy infrastructure. 

In her keynote address, Ms Eva Horelová said: "the EU has developed a strategy with four different objectives: guaranteeing energy security for its citizens and enterprises; fighting climate change; mobilising public and private investment to finance energy transition and developing the innovative technologies. Defence has a key role to play in supporting the implementation of the European Green Deal". 

Conferences in 2023 

The second CF SEDSS High-level Joint Defence and Energy meeting will take place on 8-9 June 2023 under the auspices of the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU and hosted by the Swedish Ministry of Defence.  

The sixth CF SEDSS III plenary conference and 2nd Energy Technology Solutions conference and on-site exhibition will occur on 29 November-1 December 2023 under the auspices of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU and hosted by the Spanish Ministry of Defence.  

About the CF SEDSS 

The Consultation Forum for Sustainable Energy in the Defence and Security Sector (CF SEDSS) is a European Commission-funded initiative managed by the EDA. This forum was established to create a defence energy-related community to share information, knowledge and best practices on improving energy management, increasing energy efficiency and building performance, utilising renewable energy sources in the defence sector and enhancing the resilience of defence-related critical energy infrastructure. To address these objectives, and with the support of the European Commission, EDA has implemented two phases: the first phase took place from October 2015 to October 2017, and the second one from October 2017 to August 2019. EDA and the European Commission launched the third phase on 1 October 2019, which will run until September 2024. CF SEDSS phase III is funded by the European Union's (EU) horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 882171. 

More information: 

CF SEDSS website 

Consultation forum explores hydrogen technologies for green defence (europa.eu) 

1st Energy Technology Solutions conference and exhibition held (europa.eu) 

Consultation Forum concludes first round of defence energy deliverables (europa.eu) 

New Energy Consultation Forum project to promote low carbon military camps (europa.eu) 

Energy Defence Consultation Forum gains momentum (europa.eu) 

On the 18th of November, the Agency hosted the first EDA Symposium on Maritime Situational Awareness, focused on the key challenges and opportunities in this crucial domain. The symposium coincides with the upcoming launch of a new EDA programme dedicated to Maritime Situational Awareness. The one-day event provided a forum for exploration of new avenues of cooperation in this domain and was attended by over 80 officials from 18 EU Member States as well as EU institutions involved in maritime security and defence. 

The event was opened by EDA Chief Executive, Jiří Šedivý and by Admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo, Chief of the Portuguese Navy. Underscoring the work already done by EDA on Maritime Situational Awareness, Mr Šedivý, said; “Building on what has been already achieved and starting from what you, the Member States, have asked us to support you on – the development of the MARSUR networking and technology – we believe that we should now go a step further. That’s why we propose the development of a programme for an overarching approach to situational awareness.” 

In his opening address, Admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo, Chief of the Portuguese Navy, emphasised the importance of the maritime domain today for Europe, “more than 60% of European trade is made by sea, 99% of its digital traffic with other continents and areas are made through underwater cabling, about 55% of Crude oil, and almost 30% of natural gas, comes through European maritime borders, and these numbers will increase. To do Maritime Situational Awareness, we need to develop the capabilities to detect and sense the pattern of life at sea.” 

Maritime security, and protection of critical maritime infrastructure is of crucial importance. The foundations of maritime security are based on the need to be able to maintain situational awareness of the maritime domain. With guidance provided by both the EU’s Strategic Compass and the EU Maritime Security Strategy to further develop capabilities and the need for deeper cooperation, Maritime Situational Awareness needs to be addressed in a more coherent manner to ensure consistency and efficiency. 

The programme of the event covered the defence, civil and academic perspective, providing the audience of naval experts a forum to explore the need for a more effective approach to maritime surveillance. Both Operational Commanders from EUNAVFOR ATALANTA and EUNAVFORMED IRINI addressed the symposium from the defence perspective. In seeking to bring tangible capability solutions forward, EDA presented its proposal to launch a new programme on Maritime Situational Awareness.

New EDA Programme 
EDA briefed participants on a new Category A programme will establish a forum for the synchronisation of capability developments activities within the military domain, seeking to provide a solid legal framework for cooperation in the development of full spectrum capabilities for Maritime Situational Awareness. 

Primarily it will synchronise all capability development efforts in this area, supporting coherence of the defence landscape and cooperation among participating Member States, while contributing to effective use of resources. Secondly, it will set a framework for quick implementation of a broad spectrum of capability development, implementing projects with a common vision and based on agreed capability development priorities. In addition, the programme will reinforce the MARSUR technology, will establish clear rules for participation and interaction with third parties, and will support joint procurement of MSA related equipment.

Next steps 
The event saw great interest and was attended by 80 persons from 18 EU countries as well as EU institutions involved in maritime security and defence, such as EEAS, EUMS, Operation ATALANTA, Operation IRINI, DG DEFIS, DG MARE, EMSA, EFCA, FRONTEX, and SATCEN. 

A second EDA MSA symposium which will take place in March 2023 will focus on the details on the provisions of the Category A Programme Arrangement.
 

 

 

Around 60 helicopter tactics specialists from 15 EDA participating Member States, as well as representatives of the Joint Air Power Competence Centre (JAPCC), NATO Flight Training Europe (NFTE), EU Military Staff (EUMS), United Nations (UN) Office of Military Affairs and representatives of several defence companies met recently in the Austrian Air Force Headquarters, situated in Salzburg, Austria, for the 13th Helicopter Tactics Symposium, organised under the EDA’s Helicopter Exercise Programme (HEP).

This annual event proved once more to be a unique occasion for European helicopter crews to discuss and share expertise and best practices related to helicopter tactics and to learn about training opportunities under the Helicopter Exercise Programme (HEP) and the rest of EDA helicopter training programmes. The event was inaugurated by the Austrian Air Force Chief, Brigadier General (BG) Gerfried R. Promberger.

A central part of the symposium was devoted to drawing the tactical lessons from recent EDA helicopter exercises, such as ‘Fire Blade 22’ (held in Papa Air Base, Hungary, in June 2022). This was complemented by lectures addressing national or multinational training, operational experience, and relevant topics for helicopter operators. It included evasive training, NVG training in Switzerland, Finland preparation for helicopter operations, the development of German Air Force rotary wing capabilities, and the Italian participation in Operation TAKUBA in the Sahel.

Symposium attendees also received detailed information on helicopter tactics such as air assault/ airmobile operations and its planning cycle. Additionally, Sweden briefed on human factors in helicopter operations. Other topics concerned the EU Military Staff, the UN Planning process, ATP-49 update and the structure of the Hellenic helicopter forces.

Special attention was given to the future roles and responsibilities of the Multinational Helicopter Training Centre (MHTC) that is under construction at Sintra Air Base No 1, in Portugal. EDA is schedule to transfer all its helicopter training programmes to the center by the end of 2023.

Industry was also present during the symposium with speakers briefing on threats to helicopters, today and future, ASGARD C2 planning tool and MACE and ARMOR mission rehearsal tool.

Looking ahead, symposium participants were briefed on upcoming HEP exercises, including Hot Blade 2023 and 2024 (to be held at Beja Air Base No 11, Portugal) which will focus on helicopter Composite Air Operations (COMAO) and other planned EDA helicopter courses, such as the Helicopter Tactic Courses (HTC), the Electronic Warfare (EW) and the Composite Air Operations (COMAO) planning courses, all delivered regularly by EDA.

More information:

• Helicopter Initiatives

Today, EDA Chief Executive, Jiří Šedivý, concludes an official visit to Norway where he held meetings with Minister of Defence, Bjørn Arild Gram, and National Armaments Director, Morten Tiller. Norway’s participation in EDA is built on the Agency’s first and longest standing Administrative Arrangement, signed over 16 years ago. During his visit to Olso, Mr Šedivý discussed areas where EDA and Norway could further deepen defence cooperation by expanding Norway’s involvement in EDA activities.

Discussions with Minister of Defence, Bjørn Arild Gram, focused on the key areas of Norway’s current participation in EDA, which spans across the Agency’s activities, and include contribution to 35 projects. They also discussed the impact of the changed security landscape and how to make best use of the opportunities of cooperation between Norway and participating Member States in the EDA framework. In particular, they discussed the possibility for Norway to join the recently established Hub for European Defence Innovation (HEDI).

Mr Šedivý met Morten Tiller, National Armaments Director, to discuss EDA-Norway cooperation and the EU’s work on joint procurement. During a meeting with the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence in the Norwegian Parliament, Mr Šedivý presented EDA, its mission and highlighted the added value and mutual benefits of Norway’s active contribution in the Agency.

Mr Šedivý also held discussions with several Norwegian industry representatives on EDA’s opportunities for engagement with industry. The official visit also provided the opportunity to see several aspects of Norway’s defence ecosystem. Mr Šedivý was briefed first-hand on key innovations at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment and Innovation Centre.

“Norway has a special relationship with EDA. 16 years ago, not long after the establishment of the Agency, Norway became the first country to conclude an administrative arrangement with us. Since then, cooperation between the Norwegian Ministry of Defence and the Agency has only deepened. Today, Norway plays a very active role and contributes to 35 projects in the EDA framework, especially in Research and Technology. During my visit to Oslo, I have encouraged our Norwegian counterparts to continue deepening the cooperation that exists today, as all of Europe faces up to the challenges of tomorrow,” said EDA Chief Executive, Jiří Šedivý.

"The war in Ukraine has shown the need for more defence cooperation among European countries. Norway is already a very active partner in the European Defence Agency and I look forward to continue this cooperation in the years to come," said Norwegian Minister of Defence Bjørn Arild Gram.

 

EDA’s first and longest standing Administrative Arrangement

The administrative arrangement with Norway was concluded on 7 March 2006. It is EDA’s first cooperation arrangement with a third country and cooperation has grown over time with Norway, which is today the most involved third country in EDA activities. Norway participates in several capability development projects, notably on military mobility, joining EDA’s Cross Border Movement Permission programme in 2022, Counter- IED as part of the JDEAL project and in Sharing of Spare Parts having signed in May 2015. Norway also participates in all EDA Capability Technology Groups.

Today, Defence Ministers were presented with the results and recommendations of the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD), the EU defence review. It finds that increases in defence spending following Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine represent both an opportunity and challenge for European defence. Today’s CARD Report also shows that the announced additional funds may fill long-standing capability gaps. CARD has identified a likely recovery point in 2023, when Member States can move past the underinvestment in defence following the 2008 financial crisis. However, spending in isolation and leaning towards non-EU suppliers risk increasing fragmentation and undermine broader efforts to deliver capable and coherent European armed forces. It also finds that defence planning continues to be done mostly in isolation and that Member States remain unconvinced by European cooperation projects.

Today, during the European Defence Agency (EDA) Steering Board, Ministers of Defence were presented with the 2022 CARD Report developed in close coordination with the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the EU Military Staff (EUMS) over the past year.

Head of the Agency, High Representative/Vice-President, Josep Borrell said: “The message from CARD is clear. We cannot just spend our way out of the mistakes made following the financial crisis. Defence cooperation coupled with increased spending is the only way to ensure Europe has capable and ready armed forces, able to respond to any crisis. With CARD, we have a unique overview of all 26 EDA Member States’ national defence planning and capability development efforts. Member States now know where and with whom they can invest and develop military capabilities together. We must move past recovery and, with war back in Europe, move towards winning the future by building a true European defence.”

SPENDING, PLANNING, COOPERATING: CARD’s RECOMMENDATIONS

The CARD report offers Ministers of Defence key strategic and political messages, actionable recommendations and options to generate collaborative projects.

• Repairing the past through increased defence expenditure: CARD recommends that the increase in defence spending is used to meet urgent defence needs and close identified capability gaps.
• Prepare today by planning for 2040: CARD recommends that, in accordance with the Strategic Compass’ vision, Member States elaborate a common long-term capability outlook for the EU defence landscape - envisaging how it shall be shaped by 2040 - with greater support for adopting an EU approach for cooperative capability planning.
• Win the future with a capable and coherent European defence: CARD recommends taking forward CARD collaborative opportunities through projects in PESCO, the European Defence Fund or other frameworks. It also proposes concrete projects, e.g. for cyber operations or interoperable tactical command and information systems, and expresses the need to cover critical gaps including enablers, such as strategic air transport, maritime power projection and high-end air defence systems.

EDA Chief Executive, Jiří Šedivý said: “Without having a robust portfolio of high-end military capabilities for a wide spectrum of operations – including high intensity – the EU will not become a credible security provider. CARD has a crucial role to play by informing national policy makers, planners, and armament staff of concrete collaborative opportunities to that end. At EU level we must now work to shift the balance and make cooperation the norm. The progress on cooperation projects since our 2020 report has been limited, renewed cooperation on next-generation capabilities is essential to meet future needs.”

DEFENCE SPENDING: RECOVERY POINT FROM 2023

Defence expenditure grew significantly to €214 billion in 2021 (up 6% compared to 2020) and is estimated to grow further by up to €70 billion by 2025. CARD finds that if announced defence spending increases are followed through, Member States will possibly have recovered in 2023 from the underspend of the financial crisis and can give greater focus to future defence needs.

CARD identifies a clear risk from isolated defence spending in the medium to long term. This risk seems further substantiated if Member States favour individual, non-EU off-the-shelf procurements over longer-term investments.  

DEFENCE COOPERATION: EXCEPTION RATHER THAN THE NORM

The report finds that defence cooperation remains the exception rather than the norm. CARD finds that Member States implement their plans to a large extent at national level, with only 18% of all investment in defence programmes conducted in cooperation with other EU countries. However, some collaborative opportunities identified in the 2020 CARD cycle have led to PESCO projects. CARD concludes that Member States mainly seek cooperative solutions for projects when they coincide with national plans, benefit national industry, or consolidate a strategic partnership.

Many Member States regard European collaborative approaches as more time consuming and complex, and often opt for national solutions or non-EU suppliers. Cooperation primarily takes place among neighbouring states in existing cooperation frameworks, while broader European collaborative approaches are usually not the preferred choice. CARD finds that the main impediments to cooperation stem from the complexity of legislation, pressing timelines and budget availability as well as the allocation and retention of the right experts, making full engagement with the EU defence initiatives difficult for many Member States.

DEFENCE PLANNING: LACK OF FOCUS

To overcome the lack of coherence in the EU defence landscape, CARD finds the need for a common long-term capability outlook, built upon the common strategic vision provided by the Strategic Compass. EU defence initiatives must be further embedded into national defence planning and policy documents. Based on the most promising of the identified collaborative opportunities, six ‘focus areas’ were selected for their high potential to boost the EU's and its Member States’ operational performance. The six areas should be further developed to better reflect high intensity requirements and preserve industrial know-how.

 

Notes for editors

1. CARD Report including its executive summary is available here 
2. CARD Results Factsheet
3. CARD Webpage

 

European Union Ministers of Defence approved on Tuesday a significant European Defence Agency (EDA) budget increase for 2023, reflecting the Union’s higher level of ambition and a tangible reinforcement of the Agency in support of growing national defence efforts. The decision was taken at the EDA ministerial Steering Board in Brussels, under the chairmanship of the Head of the Agency Josep Borrell. Ministers also considered the main findings of the EU’s defence review, the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD). In the margins of the meeting, Defence Ministers signed a new EDA programme, the Military Computer Emergency Response Team Operational Network (MICNET). 

The EDA budget for 2023 will rise 15% to € 43.5 million, compared to 2022, following approval by Defence Ministers at the Steering Board. After several years of zero net growth budget, the increase will help enhancing domain expertise on land, in the air, at sea, in space, and in cyber.  

Crucially, the operational budget from which EDA directly finances cooperative defence projects will rise 47% next year. An important part of the increased budget is set to be invested by EDA in innovation through the Agency’s Hub for Defence Innovation (HEDI). This rise also cements EDA’s role as the EU’s main forum for defence cooperation, in full support of national strategies 

At the Steering Board, Defence Ministers also adopted EDA’s planning framework for 2023-2025, which provides an overview of the nature, scope and expected impact of EDA’s activities in support of Member States in the years to come.  

‘OPPORTUNITY AND CHALLENGE’ 

Ministers focused on the findings and recommendations of the 2022 CARD report, the EU’s defence biannual review that aims to better align Member States’ defence efforts and identify areas where they can cooperate. Together with the EU Military Staff, EDA has provided a picture of the existing defence capability landscape. 

As defence spending rises again across the EU, CARD has a central role to play by pointing the way towards projects in the Permanent Enhanced Structured Cooperation (PESCO), the European Defence Fund or other frameworks. 

EDA Chief Executive Jiří Šedivý said the rise in national expenditure was both an opportunity and challenge for European defence. He urged Member States to work together.  

“Without having a robust portfolio of high-end military capabilities for a wide spectrum of operations, the EU will not become a credible security provider.  Spending in isolation and leaning towards non-EU suppliers risk increasing fragmentation and undermine broader efforts to deliver capable and coherent European armed forces,” Chief Executive Šedivý said. 

The goal, he said, is to prepare today by planning for 2040. Once the investment shortfalls of the past have been compensated for, Member States should work on a common, long-term capability outlook for the EU defence landscape with a greater emphasis on an EU approach for cooperative capability planning. 

MICNET  

In the margins of the Steering Board, Defence Ministers signed the new EDA programme for the Military Computer Emergency Response Team Operational Network (MICNET). The establishment of this operational network of national response teams, known as milCERTs, is a substantial step towards enhancing the level of cooperation in the cyber domain at EU level.  

Eighteen countries will join this new EDA programme, which aims to foster the exchange of information at a time when computer networks are increasingly contested and the number of cyber-attacks against the EU and its Member States continues to grow. MICNET will be managed by EDA and will also be the first outcome of the new Joint Communication on the EU Policy on Cyber Defence from head of Agency Borrell in his role as High Representative/Commission Vice-President, presented earlier in November.   

Today, the Commission and the High Representative put forward a Joint Communication on an EU Cyber Defence policy and an Action Plan on Military Mobility 2.0 to address the deteriorating security environment following Russia's aggression against Ukraine and to boost the EU's capacity to protect its citizens and infrastructure.

With its new cyber defence policy, the EU will enhance cooperation and investments in cyber defence to better protect, detect, deter, and defend against a growing number of cyber-attacks.

Cyberspace has no borders. Recent cyber-attacks on energy networks, transport infrastructure and space assets show the risks that they pose to both civilian and military actors. This calls for more action to protect citizens, armed forces, as well as the EU's civilian and military missions and operations, against cyber threats.

The EU Policy on Cyber Defence aims to boost EU cyber defence capabilities and strengthen coordination and cooperation between the military and civilian cyber communities (civilian, law enforcement, diplomatic and defence). It will enhance efficient cyber crisis management within the EU and help reduce our strategic dependencies in critical cyber technologies, while strengthening the European Defence Technological Industrial Base (EDTIB). It will also stimulate training, attracting, and retaining cyber talents and step up cooperation with our partners in the field of cyber defence.

The EU Policy on Cyber Defence is built around four pillars that cover a wide range of initiatives that will help the EU and Member States:

• Act together for a stronger EU cyber defence: The EU will reinforce its coordination mechanisms among national and EU cyber defence players, to increase information exchange and cooperation between military and civilian cybersecurity communities, and further support military CSDP missions and operations.
• Secure the EU defence ecosystem: Even non-critical software components can be used to carry out cyber-attacks on companies or governments, including in the defence sector. This calls for further work on cybersecurity standardisation and certification to secure both military and civilian domains.
• Invest in cyber defence capabilities: Member States need to significantly increase investments in modern military cyber defence capabilities in a collaborative manner, using the cooperation platforms and funding mechanisms available at the EU level, such as PESCO, the European Defence Fund, as well as Horizon Europe and the Digital Europe Programme.

• Partner to address common challenges: Building on existing security and defence as well as cyber dialogues with partner countries, the EU will seek to set up tailored partnerships in the area of cyber defence.

Next steps

The Commission and the High Representative, including in his capacity as Head of the European Defence Agency (EDA), will present an annual report to the Council of the EU to monitor and assess the progress of the implementation of the actions in the Joint Communication on the EU Policy on Cyber Defence. Member States are encouraged to contribute with their inputs on the progress of the implementation measures taking place in national or in cooperation formats. An implementation plan could be set up in cooperation with Member States.

Members of the College said:

Executive Vice-President for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age, Margrethe Vestager, said: "The EU Policy on Cyber Defence shows that by bringing our civilian and military instruments together we can make a stronger impact against cyber threats."

High Representative Josep Borrell said: "Cyber is the new domain in warfare. To be up to the challenges and threats ahead of us, we need modern and interoperable European armed forces equipped with latest cyber defence capabilities. The new EU Policy on Cyber Defence will increase cooperation among the EU's cyber defence actors and develop mechanisms to use capabilities at the EU level, including in the context of CSDP missions and operations. By doing so, we will step up our ability to prevent, detect, deter and defend against cyber-attacks, as called for by the Strategic Compass."

Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life, Margaritis Schinas, said: "Cyber- attacks are often part of wider hybrid campaign, cross-border in nature and may have an impact on civil and defence systems and infrastructure. Significant cybersecurity incidents can be too disruptive for a single or several affected Member States to handle alone. The EU must become a stronger and more credible security provider, including in cyberspace. We are facing more hybrid attacks, therefore better cooperation between civil, security and defence communities, improves our ability to act together and ensure the EU security.

Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, said: "The return of a high- intensity conflict obliges us to review our approach to Europe's security. It is time to enhance our cooperation on cyber defence to protect, detect, defend, and deter. With a wide array of new initiatives on cybersecurity, we want to boost relentlessly our cyber defence capabilities and strengthen cooperation between cybersecurity communities. A stronger EU security is the foundation of our EU technological sovereignty."

Background

The 2020 EU Cybersecurity Strategy highlighted the need for a review of the EU's cyber defence policy framework. Furthermore, President von der Leyen called for the development of a European Cyber Defence Policy in her 2021 State of the Union address. This is also an ambition of the Strategic Compass for Security and Defence approved by the Council in March this year. In May, in the Council conclusions on the development of the European Union's cyber posture, Member States invited the High Representative together with the Commission to table an ambitious proposal for an EU Cyber Defence Policy in 2022.

Together with the Security and Defence package, the Commission is also publishing today the first progress report on the Action Plan on synergies between civil, defence, and space industries, available here.

For More Information

• Joint Communication on the EU Policy on Cyber Defence Factsheet on the EU Policy on Cyber Defence
• EU's Cybersecurity Strategy for the Digital Decade Factsheet on the new EU Cybersecurity Strategy 2021 State of the Union address
• Strategic Compass for Security and Defence
• Council conclusions on the development of the European Union's cyber posture Joint Communication on defence investment gaps
• Proposal for a Cyber Resilience Act
• Factsheet on Cybersecurity: EU External Action
• Cyber defence activities of the European Defence Agency European Security Union
• More on Cybersecurity More on the NIS Directive

Today, the Commission and the High Representative put forward an Action Plan on Military Mobility 2.0 and a Joint Communication on an EU cyber defence policy to address the deteriorating security environment following Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and to boost the EU’s capacity to protect its citizens and infrastructure.

In particular, the Action Plan on Military Mobility will help European armed forces to respond better, more rapidly and at sufficient scale to crises erupting at the EU’s external borders and beyond. It will bolster the EU’s ability to support Member States and partners as regards transport of troops and their equipment. It works towards better connected and protected infrastructure, while streamlining regulatory issues. It will reinforce cooperation with NATO and promote connectivity and dialogue with key partners.

Building on the achievements of the first Action Plan launched in 2018, the new Military Mobility covers the period 2022-2026 and includes:

• Identification of possible gaps in the infrastructure, informing future actions to prioritise improvements and integrate fuel supply chain requirements, to support short-notice large-scale movements of military forces;
• Digitalisation of administrative processes related to customs logistics and military mobility systems;
• Measures to protect transport infrastructure from cyber-attacks and other hybrid threats;
• Development of military strategic lift capabilities to enhance the mobility of the armed forces by air and sea;
• Enhancing the energy efficiency and climate resilience of transport systems;
• Reinforcing cooperation with NATO and key strategic partners, such as the US, Canada and Norway, while promoting connectivity and dialogue with regional partners and enlargement countries, such as Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans.

To ensure a well-connected, capable and secure military mobility network, the European Commission is supporting the Action Plan with funding instruments such as the Connecting Europe Facility (funding dual-use transport infrastructure projects), and the European Defence Fund (supporting the development of interoperable logistical and digital systems).

Background

The first Action Plan on Military Mobility was launched in 2018 to strengthen the EU Common Security and Defence Policy. It aimed to ensure swift and seamless movement of military personnel, materiel and assets – including at short notice and at large scale – within and beyond the EU. It helped to create a well-connected network, with shorter reaction times and capable, secure and resilient transport infrastructure and capabilities. The new Action Plan on Military Mobility responds to the call in the Strategic Compass to enhance the military mobility of our armed forces within and beyond the Union following Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine. This urgent need was also reflected in the Joint Communication on defence investment gaps adopted in June 2022.

Military Mobility is supported through other defence initiatives, notably through the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) Military Mobility project and Logistical Hubs project. The European Defence Agency’s programme on “Optimising Cross-Border Movement Permission procedures in Europe” and the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD) also contribute to the effort.

Together with the Security and Defence package, the Commission is also publishing today the first progress report on the Action Plan on synergies between civil, defence, and space industries, available here.

Members of the College said:

Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager said: “With these two initiatives the Commission is today stepping up its contribution to Europe’s defence. We have to be more attentive and aware of the defence dimension of our infrastructure and networks, and today we lay out how the EU’s instruments and policies can make the difference in ensuring we are better prepared and able to react better to external threats.”

High Representative and Vice President Josep Borrell said: “One of the main lessons from the delivery of weapons and military equipment to Ukraine to fight Russia’s invasion is that every second matters. Fast military mobility is crucial to respond to crises emerging at our borders and beyond. Much has been done to date, but the Strategic Compass has set higher ambitions and we are delivering. With this new Action Plan on Military Mobility, we will address existing bottlenecks to allow for swift and efficient movement of our armed forces. We will ensure that our armed forces have access to strategic lift capabilities and that infrastructure is better protected from cyber and other hybrid threats. And we will do this with our partners, including NATO.”

Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton said: “The crisis in Ukraine has shown the vital importance of ensuring swift military assistance. The Action Plan on Military Mobility 2.0 will strongly contribute to the ability of our Armed Forces to quickly respond to crises at the EU’s external borders and beyond. With a budget of 9 million Euro under the European Defence Fund, we are co-funding a consortium of companies from nine EU Member States plus Norway for the development of a digital system for a quick and secure information exchange related to Military Mobility. We will continue to work on the digitalization of administrative processes, under the European Defence Fund, to substantially enhance Military Mobility.”

Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean said: “Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine has confirmed that we need to continue improving the capacity of transport infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, and rail tracks, allowing our armed forces and their equipment to move around the EU with ease. With a budget of 1.69 billion euro for 2021-2027, we are already co-funding dual-use transport infrastructure projects through

our Connecting Europe Facility. Under the new Action Plan we will assess the extent to which today’s physical transport infrastructure meets military requirements, and what the current gaps are. The findings will help us to prioritise infrastructure for development, and allocate funding at EU level appropriately.”

More Information

• Action Plan on Military Mobility 2.0
• Military Mobility | EEAS Website Factsheet on Military Mobility
• Strategic Compass
• Third Joint Report on the implementation of the Action Plan on Military Mobility
• First progress report on the implementation of the Action plan on synergies between civil, defence and space industries

Underwater robots, such as autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV), have the potential to take over lengthy and labour-intensive missions in dangerous areas from navy ship crews and special forces. As a result, the role of mobile unmanned platforms in military scenarios is becoming more and more important. But their integration into the network of surface ships, submarines, sensor nodes and surface gateway buoys is crucial. 

This requires underwater acoustic networks, as well as the capability to adapt autonomously to communication conditions, for example by switching between frequency bands and data rates, so that network assets stay connected for extensive operation times without recovery and redeployment.

A four-year EDA project known as SALSA, funded by five EDA Member States, developed a smart adaptive protocol stack for the development of flexible and self-configurable underwater acoustic networks. Launched on 30 October 2018, the final meeting took place on 25-27 October 2022. This meeting was used to reflect upon the technical achievements gained within the project, regarding the requirements set in an early stage. 

Also, strategic decisions were taken on what technical results were fit to be published in a standard.

The Netherlands was the lead nation in the project, working with Germany, Norway, Sweden and Finland. The project involved a consortium of industries and research establishments from these five Member States. In this regard, the main objectives defined for this project were linked to the development and standardisation of a protocol stack for self-configurable underwater acoustic networks that autonomously adapt to changing environmental conditions and operational needs.

NEXT STEPS ON STANDARDISATION

Under the SALSA project, work has been carried out at the two levels of the physical and the network layer. 

At the physical layer, where bits are converted into sound and vice versa, the JANUS underwater communications standard (STANAG 4748/ANEP-87) was applied for first contact, after which the more robust and flexible frequency repetition spread spectrum (FRSS) modulation was employed to enable the required heavy-duty communication in the military scenario at hand. In addition, at the network layer, the versatile gossiping in underwater mobile ad-hoc networks (GUWMANET) routing protocol was employed with the accompanying application-layer protocol generic underwater application language (GUWAL). The decisions for adaptations, and their synchronization within the network to maintain interoperability, were controlled by an adaptivity module inside the network layer.

During the implementation of the project, a successful demonstration was performed of self-configurable underwater acoustic networks in military scenarios using up to 20 network nodes.

Based on the results provided, the navies of the five EDA Member States, supported by their national research establishments, have the intention to submit a proposal for a NATO Standardisation Agreement. The consortium is still seeking for the best approach to initiate the NATO standardisation process; whether it should be extension of a current standard or a new standard, and how to keep all partners involved given that the EDA-SALSA project has now been closed.

The SALSA consortium hopes to engage in discussions on new use cases or the needs of potential clients for their adaptive underwater communication protocols. These aspects underline the high level of ambition to continue international collaboration on underwater communications as over the years a full workbench has been developed within this consortium.