Defense`s Feeds

Trident II D5 Test Launch (click to view full) Nuclear tipped missiles were first deployed on board US submarines at the height of the Cold War in the 1960s, to deter a Soviet first strike. The deterrence theorists argued that, unlike their land-based cousins, submarine-based nuclear weapons couldn’t be taken out by a surprise first […]

European Defence Agency (EDA) has published on 9 February 2024 its call for applications to its EDA Research, Technology, and Innovation Papers Award 2024. The competition, now in its second year, focuses on innovative technologies, processes, and applications for enhanced future defence capabilities. EDA is looking to hear from early career researchers before the deadline for applications on 29 March 2024. The awards will be presented at Eurosatory in Paris in June with each prize winner receiving €4,000.

Innovators of tomorrow

This year, papers shall be related to the topic of “Innovative technologies, processes, and applications for enhanced future defence capabilities.” The winning entries will come up with ideas which, if implemented between now and 2035, would contribute to enhance specific EU defence capabilities. Entries will be judged on their quality and impact, with a special emphasis on technology and innovation to help cover the European Union’s defence needs and shortfalls.

The contest aims to promote and support the work of early career researchers by introducing their work to the defence community, stimulate engagement of innovators to widen their access to emerging and potentially disruptive research, and identify areas in which additional investment is needed to address future defence capability needs. 

More than a prize

EDA’s award seeks to increase the visibility and impact of tomorrows innovators, with the contest conceived to offer more than just the financial prize. The winners will have the opportunity to expose their ideas during the dedicated session at EUROSATORY 2024 exhibition and conference in Paris on 19 June, 2024. An official EDA Booklet of papers to be edited and published in a scientific review by EDA, including ISBN (International Standard Book Number) reference. The Best Papers Award and names of the winners will also receive coverage on the EDA website and social media channels.

How to apply?

The deadline for submitting applications is 29 March 2024, with the following documents.

• Rules of Contest
• Annexes to the Rules of Contest
  
  

The contest is open to all citizens of EDA’s 27 participating Member States. For the first time in 2024 the contest is open also to citizens from Switzerland.

HEDI 

The EDA Research, Technology, and Innovation Papers Award is done under the ‘’umbrella’’ of HEDI (Hub for EU Defence Innovation), which is the new platform for innovation, led by EDA, that was established in March 2022 as an action derived from "Strategic Compass for EU Defence and Security’’.

HEDI has the objective of fostering innovative technological solutions following a systemic approach towards cutting-edge military capabilities. Furthermore, HEDI serves as a platform to stimulate and facilitate cooperation on defence innovation while ensuring synergies with related European Commission activities, notably the EU defence innovation scheme, coherence of output with NATO innovation and other EU Defence Innovation organizations.

This Call for Papers complements other HEDI’s services, such as e.g., the EDA Defence Innovation Prizes, or Proofs-of-Concept.

EDA's wider role  

EDA supports its 27 Member States in improving their defence capabilities through European cooperation. Acting as an enabler and facilitator for Ministries of Defence willing to engage in collaborative capability projects, the Agency has become the hub for European defence cooperation with expertise and networks allowing it to the whole spectrum of defence capabilities.  

Member States use EDA as an intergovernmental expert platform where their collaborative projects are supported, facilitated, and implemented. For more details, please see here. 

 

Americas Austal USA has teamed with Kiewit Infrastructure South Co. and Pearlson Shiplift to design and construct a new part of its manufacturing facility in Mobile, Alabama. The “major expansion” will see the development of a hub at the southern portion of Austal’s existing waterfront yard. Three branches of the US military have joined forces for […]

Americas Boeing has revealed that deliveries of the remaining T-7A Red Hawk trainer aircraft to the US Air Force have been hit by fresh delays due to supply chain issues. The company said it completed delivering the first three test aircraft in 2023 but failed to transfer the fourth and fifth aircraft under contract. According to […]

JASSM-ER from B-1B (click to view full) The 2,000 pound AGM-158 JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile) is intended to be a stealthy, inexpensive GPS/IIR (Global Positioning system/ Imaging InfraRed) guided cruise missile. It’s designed to attack well-defended targets without putting its carrier aircraft in the crosshairs of new long-range surface to air missile systems. JASSM […]

Americas The 3rd Airlift Squadron (AS) of the 436th Airlift Wing has successfully concluded trials of a novel C-17 Globemaster III combat offload procedure dubbed “Method C,” marking a potential leap forward in cargo delivery efficiency and safety. This innovative technique eliminates the need for traditional forklifts or other ground vehicles, utilizing a system of […]

Americas Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems won a $8.3 million cost type modification for AEGIS capability package development and fielding, system integration and fielding, and in-service sustainment performance incentive fee. Work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity. The US Army has tapped General […]

M3A3 Bradley CFV: Charge! (click to view full) In the 1970s, middle eastern wars demonstrated that tanks without infantry screens were vulnerable to infantry with anti-tank missiles. Unfortunately, armored personnel carriers were easy prey for enemy tanks, and sometimes had trouble just keeping up with friendly tanks like America’s 60+ ton, 50+ mph M1 Abrams. […]

Americas The Boeing won a $19.4 million modification, which exercises an option to procure two P-8A Increment 3 retrofit A-Kits in support of anti-submarine warfare capabilities upgrades for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Florida; St. Louis, Missouri; and Mesa, Arizona, and is expected to be completed in June […]

The European Defence Agency (EDA), under the umbrella of its Incubation Forum for Circular Economy in European Defence (IF CEED), has taken a step further towards delivering greater circularity in European defence with the launch of a new project called “IOTA 2", targeting the circular management of body armour vests. IOTA 2 will be taken forward by an industrial consortium from four Member States, namely Luxembourg, Germany, Spain and France, and will run for the next 12 months. It represents a milestone for circularity in defence, being the first project implemented under IF CEED.

Data for circularity - The Digital Product Passport

Within the EDA’s IF CEED programme, the key role of data as an enabler for circularity has been identified, as the sharing of information on capabilities - among actors in circular value chains - allows for the extension of lifetime, repair and ultimately efficient recycling.

A preliminary study (IOTA) on data sharing schemes analysed the feasibility of the concept of the “Digital Product Passport” (DPP) in defence; technical, organisational and legal aspects were addressed, with a focus on the protection of sensitive information. On this basis, the IF CEED Project Circle “Circular Data” concluded that the DPP had a strong potential for circularity of military equipment but also for improved interoperability across functions (procurement, maintenance, logistics) and countries.

Circularity of body armour

To confirm this potential and test the application of a DPP, experts from Member States and industry have defined a project idea focused on an actual military product: body armour components. In January 2024, EDA and the selected consortium held the kick-off meeting of IOTA 2 project. Entities (+ImpaKT Luxembourg, FECSA, Rheinmetall Business Unit Protection Systems, ELMICRON Dr. Harald Oehlmann GmbH, Sopra Steria Group) from four countries will work toward a proof of concept, defining the requirements and bricks for a DPP of body armour inserts, from the data model to product identification and IT set-up.

As part of the effort of moving armed forces towards more sustainable practices, circular management of body armour vests will contribute to better efficiency in the use of resources, especially the extension of lifetime and reduction of waste. The implementation of the DPP concept also aims to bring operational benefits by improving traceability, product authentication and stock management.

IOTA 2 is a strong example of IF CEED’s role in supporting the development and dissemination of circularity in defence. This first project will be complemented by the implementation of actions in the other priority areas of the Forum.

Further information

• To know more on the Digital Product Passport, see our video: https://youtu.be/FSX6N5lSETo.
• For further information contaact: circular.economy@eda.europa.eu.

Americas Stellant Systemswon a $9.4 million delivery order for the purchase of 22 electron tubes used on the F/A-18 aircraft. All work will be performed in Torrance, California, and work is expected to be completed by December 2026. Working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $4,606,000 will be obligated at time of award, and […]

Americas Kay and Associates won a $153.4 modification. which exercises an option to provide maintenance, operation, and management support services for the F/A-18 organizational level, intermediate level, and missile maintenance repair and storage facilities for the government of Kuwait. Work will be performed in undisclosed locations in Kuwait and is expected to be completed in […]

Breakthrough… (click to view full) The US Navy flies the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet fighters, and has begun operating the EA-18G Growler electronic warfare & strike aircraft. Many of these buys have been managed out of common multi-year procurement (MYP) contracts, which aim to reduce overall costs by offering longer-term production commitments, so contractors can […]

Americas Raytheon won a $13.4 million deal to exercise options for design and engineering support services for the Rolling Airframe Missile on January 25, 2024. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona and is expected to be completed by March 2028. The Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) is a lightweight, quick-reaction, fire-and-forget missile system designed for […]

Mk-44 firing RAM (click to view full) The Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) MK-31 guided missile weapon system is co-developed and co-produced under a NATO cooperative program between the United States and German governments to provide a small, all-weather, low-cost self-defense system against aircraft and cruise missiles. The RIM-116 was later called RAM (Rolling Airframe Missile), […]

On 30 January the European Defence Agency (EDA) organised a ‘High Level Symposium’ on military mobility at the Royal Higher Institute for Defence in Brussels, in the context of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU. High-level speakers - including three Ministers of Defence, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, EU Commissioner for Transport, EDA, NATO and U.S. representatives - discussed progress and future challenges of enhancing military mobility in Europe, emphasising the EU’s role in facilitating concrete measures in several areas. Topics of discussion included the harmonisation of custom procedures and border permissions as well as the dual use of transport capacities.

The current geopolitical context, including Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, demonstrates the need for efficient and effective modes of transport of both troops and equipment across Europe. Military logistical movements, however, are quite complex and often encounter different types of legislative, administrative, and physical obstacles. The event highlighted how a streamlined approach is therefore necessary, building upon greater civilian and military cooperation.

Represented by their Ministers of Defence and State Secretary at the event, major entry-countries such as Belgium the Netherlands and Germany have a crucial role to play as valued reception, transit and dispatching nations, due to their central location within Europe and their extensive maritime infrastructure. With NATO and the European Union established in Brussels, Belgium’s cooperation with other partners on the issue of military mobility is a key priority of its Presidency of the Council of the EU.

In his keynote speech, EU High Representative, Josep Borrell, who is also the Head of the European Defence Agency, said, "In a conflict every second matters. Investing in military mobility is not just a commitment; it is an investment for today and tomorrow to allow our armed forces to respond faster to crises at our borders and beyond. Efficient and seamless transportation of troops and materials across Europe is a logistical, administrative and infrastructure challenge. We must address bottlenecks through cooperation and investment, to ensure rapid movement for the security of Europe.”

The Belgian Minister of Defence, Ludivine Dedonder, opened the symposium, saying “in order to achieve the objectives, set out in the Military Mobility Action Plan 2.0, it is necessary to safely facilitate and accelerate the movement of our military forces and their equipment across the European Union, for emergency situations at our external borders or beyond.”  

How can the EU help? The Military Mobility Action Plan 2.0.

The EU has launched an updated ‘Action Plan on Military Mobility 2.0’ providing a comprehensive framework to develop a well-connected military mobility network, with shorter reaction times and secure, sustainable, and resilient transport infrastructure and capabilities. Speakers pointed to the need to achieve these objectives with a whole of government approach: government, civil industries, ministries of defence, and actors involved in land, air, and sea transport need to work closely together. This dual-use-approach will benefit the cooperating nations, not only in their military capabilities, but also in their national resilience. In this light, the Presidency will host a Dual Use Seminar in Ghent in February.

In recent years Belgium has set up an interdepartmental consultation with all national and regional stakeholders involved in the reception, transhipment, and transport of large quantities of military equipment on national territory. This consultation will be further enhanced in the near future, in order to make the necessary progress both at national and EU level.

 

EDA initiatives

The EDA supports participating Member States to fully implement two technical arrangements, signed in 2021, that address regulatory issues for cross-border movement permissions on land and in the air, which more than 20 EU Member States signed. The Belgian Ministry of Defence is holding a pioneering role in this working group.

Furthermore, to streamline and simplify formalities for cross-border military movements involving customs, a special “EU 302” form has been established by EDA. In the future, communication processes between the military and custom authorities will be digitalised while taking into account necessary cybersecurity. The development of a Military Customs System aims to reduce the administrative burden they could be encountering today. EDA is also working to improve the resilience of key elements underpinning effective military mobility, which encompasses robust information management, fortified cyber defences, and strengthened transport infrastructure.

PESCO-projects

In addition, the EDA is strongly engaged in two projects related to military mobility that have been launched under the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO): the “Network of logistic hubs in Europe and support to operations” (NetLogHubs) led by Germany, the “Military Mobility” project led by the Netherlands. Belgium is participating in both projects which are of utmost importance for the Belgian Presidency. They ensure the progress on large-scale reception and transport of military equipment and personnel.

 

Mutual reinforcement with NATO efforts

Military Mobility is often referred to as the flagship for EU-NATO cooperation, the symposium also welcomed representatives of NATO and the U.S. The event discussed how the EDA, Belgium and its other European partners will continue their efforts to improve Military Mobility in a European and NATO context. This includes more digitalisation of administrative processes, more cross-border movement coordination on land, sea, and air. This is the cornerstone of the Defence Readiness of the European Continent.

Americas Huntington Ingalls Inc. won a $913,2 million deal for advanced planning and long-lead-time material procurement to prepare and make ready for the accomplishment of the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) Refueling and Complex Overhaul. Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia and is expected to be completed by June 2026. The USS […]

Americas Lockheed Martin won a $90 million modification to exercise options for MK 41 Vertical Launching Systems. This modification combines purchases for the Navy; and the government of Spain, under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey; Indianapolis, Indiana; Saginaw, Michigan; Farmingdale, New York; St. Peters, Missouri; San […]

Across land, sea, air, space and cyber, military operations increasingly rely on data. That makes access to cloud technologies essential. A European Defence Agency-financed study has concluded that cloud computing can be applied to defence, both at the strategic level and in the field, to help European armed forces achieve information superiority against an adversary.

The EDA study over four years, ‘Cloud Intelligence for Decision Support and Analysis’ (CLAUDIA), looked at the application of civilian cloud technologies in defence, including computing capabilities, data storage and software tools hosted externally. Results of the study were presented on January 25th, with a view to follow-up activities looking at constraints to cloud computing in defence.

Given the pressures of the battlefield, such as relying on a range of connections from satellites to radios in an extreme environment, EDA’s research is crucial to increasing situational awareness and shortening reaction times across multiple domains.

As cloud technology uses virtualisation − creating a virtual version of servers, storage devices and networks using software −  the study focused on the overall advantages for defence. These are simplicity, flexibility and the ability to scale up in military environments, as well as working with ‘big data’ supported by artificial intelligence (AI) tools. These advantages can significantly improve the situational awareness and decision-making process both at strategic and tactical level.

CLAUDIA’s objective was to research using cloud technologies to support analysis of hybrid warfare including:

• Management and processing information from heterogeneous sources
• Tactical cloud infrastructure for Command, Control, Communications, Computers (C4) Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) − or C4ISR − systems
• Information-process enhancement by using AI and big data
• Joint strategic, operational and tactical level simulators
• Simulation as a Service (SaaS) for computer simulations of theatres of war (synthetic environments) and rapid scenario generation

Thanks to CLAUDIA, a Software Analysis (SWAN) platform has been developed to demonstrate the cloud-based capabilities, with different modules to address the different technology topics, including:

• Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) Analysis at the strategic level
• Tactical Cloud
• Internet of Military Things
• 5G for Tactical Cloud and AI in Wargaming

The demonstration showcased the benefits of cloud technologies with the SWAN platform at both the strategic and tactical level. Edge computing – at or near the location of either the user or the data source –  was also introduced to demonstrate the benefits of using such technologies in the field, providing real-time situational awareness with enhanced data and visual capabilities. The demonstration included simulation and wargaming for a hybrid warfare scenario, with the use of wargaming and advanced training and exercises capabilities. The study recommended making the SWAN platform available to all Member States for further testing.

EDA's wider role

EDA supports its 27 Member States in improving their defence capabilities through European cooperation. Acting as an enabler and facilitator for Ministries of Defence willing to engage in collaborative capability projects, the Agency has become the hub for European defence cooperation with expertise and networks allowing it to the whole spectrum of defence capabilities.

Member States use EDA as an intergovernmental expert platform where their collaborative projects are supported, facilitated, and implemented. For more details, please see here. 

Americas Lockheed Martin Aeronautics won an $8.4 million modification, which adds scope to procure diminishing manufacturing sources in support of production, retrofit, spares, replenishment and repairs for the F-35 Lightning II program for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, Foreign Military Sales customers, and non-US Department of Defense participants. Work will be performed in Fort […]