Defence`s Feeds

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The post Video: Mexican Navy Mi-17 Crashes After Takeoff with State Minister of Interior Aboard appeared first on The Aviationist.

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OCEAN2020, the largest EU funded defence research project, has concluded two successful days of testing in the Hanö Bay, Sweden. The sea trial brought together 12 unmanned systems, 4 naval vessels, 5 tactical command and control systems, one earth observation satellite system plus a prototype of an EU Maritime Operations Centre, installed at the EDA. The live demonstration marks a major milestone for the project in demonstrating enhanced situational awareness in a maritime environment through the integration of new technologies for unmanned systems. 

The Second Baltic Sea Demonstration tested how the information collected from the assets deployed in the area of operations can be integrated to create a Recognised Maritime Picture (RMP). The execution of two scenarios was based on the utilisation of the twelve different unmanned systems that proved their capacity of patrolling, detection, identification, and classification of threats thanks to the information acquired by different types of sensors. Some unmanned systems were deployed for patrolling and threat detection, while others tracked the threat up to interception and dissuasion.

OCEAN2020 aims to achieve operational and technical objectives, ranging from enhanced situational awareness, autonomy, cost effectiveness and increased interoperability for joint missions. The variety of assets involved in OCEAN2020 highlights how collaborative autonomy between multi-domain unmanned vehicles can provide a force multiplier.

Coordinated by Saab, the sea demonstration ran two scenarios: a high-speed surface threat and an unknown submerged activity scenario. While the first scenario combined surveillance, interdiction, and engagement of multiple high speed unmanned surface threats with all types of UxV´s, with Persistent Wide Area Surveillance and Maritime Interdiction actions including radar detection and EO/IR video, the focus of the second scenario was to detect and identify underwater threats (e.g., sea mines or IED), laid from hostile submarines and to detect the insertion of hostile Special Forces on a friendly coast.

BUILDING ON FIRST SEA DEMONSTRATION

Building on the experience and lessons of the first sea demonstration in the Gulf of Taranto (Italy 2019), the second sea demonstration focussed on the verification of objectives, such as the launch and recovery of Unmanned Systems (UUV) from a vessel, integration between tactical systems and naval Combat Management Systems, coordination between unmanned assets operating in squad with the use of AI and demonstration of how data fusion can improve the tactical picture at the tactical and operational level.

ASSETS INVOLVED

The following assets participated in the second sea demonstration. 12 different Unmanned Systems from Saab (3), Leonardo, Safran, Bluebear, IOSB (2), TNO (2), CMRE and GMV. 4 naval units; Swedish Navy HMS Pelikanen; Lithuanian Navy P11 Žemaitis; German MOD R/V Planet (WTD 71) and Polish Navy Minehunter Czajka of Krogulec. The satellite systems are COSMO SkyMed. Finally, the EU MOC (Maritime Operation Centre) coordinated by Indra & IOSB including connectivity with the Spanish MOC through MARSUR network.

BACKGROUND

Funded from the European Union’s Preparatory Action on Defence Research under grant agreement No 801697, OCEAN2020 received funding of €35.48 Million. Since its launch in April 2018 the project has carried out extensive research and technology work to reach the point of undertaking two live sea demonstrations. The consortium has been involved in a significant amount of solution analysis, system design, technical development and system integration of individual assets and trials. Information on the 43 consortium members can be found on the OCEAN2020 website.

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EDA Chief Executive, Jiří Šedivý, visited Slovakia this week (25-26 August) for high-level talks with Minister of Defence Jaroslav Naď, State Secretary Marian Majer, Chief of Defence General Daniel Zmeko as well as several officials from the Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs. Mr Šedivý also visited the International Defence Exhibition Bratislava 2021 (IDEB) and met with representatives of Slovakian defence industry associations.

Discussions with Minister Naď focused on opportunities for Slovakia to grow its engagement with EDA. Mr. Šedivý took the opportunity to further present EDA’s work and projects, with a special focus on the cooperation opportunities identified in the first Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD) and the state of play in PESCO implementation where Slovakia is coordinating one project (EuroArtillery) and participates in six.  

Speaking on the occasion, Defence Minister of the Slovak Republic Jaroslav Naď said: “Promoting and strengthening European cooperation in the field of defence is also an important area for our country where we can improve the capabilities of our armed forces and at the same time help our domestic companies to compete internationally. I consider this a highly important factor in their overall development and I am open to deepening cooperation both at the international level and within the EDA.” 

“I am delighted to have the opportunity to personally present the work and role of the EDA to Slovakia. I believe with the challenges that Europe is facing, cooperation remains the best and most effective way of addressing them. There is much potential in defence cooperation and the EDA for Slovakia to exploit. I particularly welcome the opportunity to encourage the Slovakian authorities to benefit further from collaborative opportunities in defence, especially using the Agency to their full potential”, Mr Šedivý commented.

The Chief Executive began his visit at the International Defence Exhibition Bratislava (IDEB) 2021. Speaking at the event, Mr. Šedivý presented EDA’s industry engagement approach and related opportunities for industry to participate in and benefit from EDA’s activities. He encouraged strong participation of industry in EDA R&T&I activities and hoped to attract innovative industries to the defence sector.

Mr Šedivý had also talks with National Armaments Director Jozef Zekucia, DEFPOL Director Martin Sklenár, Designated Capability Director Dalibor Pavolka and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Policy Director Roman Bužek. Among the industry representatives met by Mr Šedivý were President of NDIA (National Defence Industry Association) Tibor Straka and President of AFCEA (Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association) Miroslav Brvnišťan.

 

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