Defense`s Feeds

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

Americas

Lockheed Martin won a $430 million deal for full-rate production of High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems and support services to satisfy an urgent need to support the Army and various Foreign Military Sales partners. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Brownsboro, Alabama; Camden, Arkansas; Boca Raton, Clearwater and Palm Bay, Florida; Whippany, New Jersey; Archbald and York, Pennsylvania; and Dallas and Grand Prairie, Texas, with an estimated completion date of December 31, 2025.

Boeing won an $8.7 million modification, which exercises options to provide continued integrated logistics support and engineering services in support of the Harpoon and Standoff Land-Attack Missile-Expanded Response Missile Systems and Harpoon Launch Systems for the Navy and various Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. Work will be performed in St. Charles, Missouri (91.89%); St. Louis, Missouri (5.47%); and Yorktown, Virginia (2.64%), and is expected to be completed in February 2024.

Middle East & Africa

The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defense and Navantia have signed a memorandum of understanding to construct multi-mission combat ships for the Royal Saudi Naval Force (RSNF). The agreement will see the Spanish shipbuilder transfer related technologies to Saudi experts in support of the country’s Vision 2030 program, which seeks to enhance domestic construction, combat system integration, design, and ship maintenance.

Europe

The German government will send an additional seven Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG) to Ukraine. Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) in Munich is repairing the seven Gepards, which were initially intended for scrapping. They should arrive in Ukraine in Spring 2023. Government officials did not specify when the tanks would be delivered. They said the tanks had come from manufacturers’ stocks and deliveries were dependent on repairs or production still in progress.

The US State Department has approved the potential sale of 350 portable surface-to-air Stinger missile systems and related gear to Finland, the Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on Thursday. The equipment deal is valued at an estimated $380 million. The FIM-92K Stinger Man Portable missile systems are manufactured by Raytheon Missiles & Defense, based in the US state of Arizona.

Asia-Pacific

Indian Navy chief Adm. R Hari Kumar said on December 3 that his service is happy with IAC-1 aircraft carrier INS Vikrant and could buy another carrier based on it instead of the newer IAC-2 CATOBAR aircraft carrier. “We are still working on what size it should be and what its capabilities should be. Right now, we have put a hold on it because we have just commissioned INS Vikrant (IAC-I). We are quite happy with the ship. The way the ship performed in the trial,” Adm. Kumar was quoted as saying. This aircraft carrier is known as the IAC-2 and is scheduled to be built by the Cochin Shipyard Limited for the Indian Navy. This will be the second aircraft carrier to be built in India after the INS Vikrant (IAC-1) which was launched in 2013. The proposed design for the second carrier class will be a new one, featuring significant changes from Vikrant, including a significant increase in size and displacement over the INS Vikrant design.

Today’s Video

WATCH: Finland To Buy 350 Pieces FIM-92K Stinger missiles

Americas

The US Army awarded a $1.2 billion contract to Raytheon Technologies Co for six National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) for Ukraine on Wednesday, the Pentagon said. The United States has approved sending Ukraine a total of eight NASAMS to help fend off Russian missile and drone attacks. Ukraine received its first delivery of two NASAMS air defense systems in November. Others will be delivered in future months once they are built.

Thales has announced its plan to collaborate with Epic Games to bring the latter’s Unreal Engine 5 3D creation tool to its simulators. “We are very pleased to be working in collaboration with the Unreal Engine team at Epic Games. Their focus on providing advanced tools and technologies that have been adopted in industries beyond games matches our ambitions for taking professional simulation to the next level. Rapid insertion of Unreal Engine into our product lines gives us opportunities to delight our customers, particularly in the land training market where high-quality, densely populated synthetic environments help produce the best training outcomes,” said Peter Hitchcock, Vice President of the Training and Simulation business at Thales.

Middle East & Africa

Israeli-based tech startup CyberBee and California-based AI developer EyeCloud were awarded a $1.75-million grant to produce an indoor mini-drone for first responders deployed in GPS-denied interior spaces. The autonomous indoor drone would enhance Israeli and American first responders’ ability to efficiently locate and rescue victims in emergencies such as earthquakes, fires, or terror attacks.

Europe

Ukraine on Thursday urged the European Union to include in its new sanctions package measures that would target Russia’s missile industry, after Moscow’s systematic strikes on the country’s energy grid. Following military defeats on the ground, Russia began targeting Ukrainian energy facilities, causing severe damage and power shortages ahead of winter.

Norway and Polish firm Mesko have signed a $35.6 million contract to deliver man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) to the Norwegian Army. The agreement is part of Norway’s plans to integrate the latest, upgraded missiles into the armed forces. The Piorun MANPADS will cover the lowest elevation level with their fire-heat-seeking missiles.

Asia-Pacific

Up to 500 Tomahawk cruise missiles produced in the United States are being considered by the Japanese Ministry of Defense for purchase by fiscal 2027, The Yomiuri reports. In his summit meeting with US President Biden on the November 13, Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida confirmed the intention to advance talks on the purchase and to accelerate preparations toward the acquisition of “counterattack capability.” It is possible that the size of the purchase will change in the future because of factors such as the manufacturing capacity in the US.

Today’s Video

WATCH: NASAMS vs IRIS-T SLM | Best Ukrainian Air Defense Systems.

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) 

Americas

The US Air Force has awarded engineering firm KBR a $69.2 million contract to support the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane and Naval Air Systems Command all-weather airborne early-warning fleet. Work for the program will focus on the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, E-2C Hawkeye and C-2A Greyhound aircraft. Under the agreement, KBR will develop and integrate new intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting (ISR&T) capabilities for the fleet.

The US Army Civilian Career Management Activity and Lockheed Martin have teamed up to deliver web-based cyber training for 17,000 US Army personnel. For the program, the company will provide its latest Mission Readiness & Reporting (MR2) cyber management solution. The platform enables governments and organizations that need training and workforce management capabilities to select, evaluate, and hone the skills of their employees to meet monitoring and proficiency requirements.

Middle East & Africa

Raytheon has secured a potential export order from Qatar to supply a Fixed Site-Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft System Integrated Defeat System (FS-LIDS) System comprising of 10 sets. The FS-LIDS uses the Coyote Block 2 interceptor to defeat unmanned aircraft. The Pentagon says the deal is worth up to $1 billion. The system will utilize the Counter Unmanned Electronic Warfare System (CUAEWS) as well as Ku Band Multi-function Radio Frequency System (KuMRFS) radars.

The US Navy awarded Rolls-Royce a $228 million, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides for sustaining engineering and logistics support services for the KC-130J aircraft propulsion system for the Navy, Marine Corps, and Foreign Military Sales customers. Work will take place in Indiana, Japan, Kuwait, North Carolina, California, Hawaii and Texas. Estimated completion will be in November 2027.

Europe

The US is considering sending the Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine, a US defense official revealed at a press conference Tuesday. The Raytheon system is one of the capabilities “being considered with all others,” the official said regarding potential steps to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense against persistent Russian missile and drone attacks.

Asia-Pacific

Boeing won a $398 million contract modification for KC-46A Japan aircraft under the FA8609-18-G-0002 basic ordering agreement contract vehicle. The contract modification is for the procurement of two aircraft for the Japan fleet. Work will be performed in Everett, Washington, and is expected to be completed June 30, 2025. Boeing delivered the first KC-46 tankers to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force in 2021, marking the program’s first delivery to a customer outside the United States.

Today’s Video

WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrRScxnDfrk

Americas

Lockheed Martin Space won a $49.9 million modification for Trident II (D5) missile production and deployed systems support. The contract award also benefits a foreign military sale to the United Kingdom. Work will take place in Arkansas, California, Massachusetts, Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Maryland and various other locations. Work is expected to be completed on September 30, 2027. Fiscal 2023 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $49,942,303 will be obligated. No funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

Raytheon won a $397.7 million modification from the US Navy to exercise options for fiscal 2023 guided missile assemblies, shipping containers, and spare parts in support of the fiscal 2021-2023 Evolved Seasparrow Missile Block 2 full-rate production requirements. Work will take place in Arizona, Australia, California, Norway, Netherlands, Greece, New York, Turkey, Denmark and other locations. Expected completion will be by March 2027.

Middle East & Africa

Israel’s Elbit Systems transformed its OneSim simulation software infrastructure to be cloud native, and its services can now be delivered to authorized users from a Microsoft Azure cloud. Working closely with Microsoft engineers, Elbit Systems redesigned the architecture of the OneSim infrastructure to meet the requirements of cloud solutions and upload the OneSim to the Microsoft Azure cloud. OneSim is Elbit Systems’ platform-agnostic simulation software infrastructure that provides land, air and marine users a complete solution for training systems, from a stand-alone simulator and up to multi-platform Mission Training Centers.

Europe

The US Defense Department on Monday announced the approval of a $323 million sale of AIM 9X Block II tactical missiles and AGM-154 Joint Stand Off Weapons to Finland. “The proposed sale will improve Finland’s air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons capabilities and will positively impact US relations with countries in the Nordic region,” the Pentagon said in a statement. The announcement on the sale of 40 AIM 9Xs and 48 AGM-154s comes more than nine months into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which pushed both Finland and Sweden to seek NATO membership.

Finland’s Ministry of Defense plans to sign a $13.1 million contract with BAE Systems Bofors to procure 57-millimeter naval guns for the Finnish Navy’s future Pohjanmaa-class multirole corvettes. According to the ministry, the agreement was coordinated with the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration to cut costs, enabling the Finnish and Swedish navies to simultaneously acquire the same 57-millimeter variants at a lower price. The latest contract follows Finland and BAE Systems’ previous partnership that delivered 57-millimeter artillery systems such as 57Mk3 and 57A to the Finnish Navy.

Asia-Pacific

According to the Nikkei, the Japanese Ministry of Defense is giving consideration to a submarine-launch variant of the new long-range stand-off missile being developed. Japan’s submarines are difficult to detect and this will be a deterrent factor.

Today’s Video

WATCH: Hamina-class missile boat | The protector of the Finnish coasts

Americas

Lockheed Martin has awarded Magellan Aerospace a contract to provide machine titanium components for its F-35 Lightning II Fighter Aircraft. The agreement covers the development of machined wing tie bars for the plane’s flap. Tie bars are placed on an aircraft’s joints, curb, or shoulder parts, connecting bordering or adjoining portions to prevent separation and damage in flight.

A bipartisan group of US senators has asked Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to explain the reasons behind not sending the MQ-1C Gray Eagle drones to Ukraine. The 16 lawmakers demanded the explanation in a letter following the Pentagon’s reported refusal to send the General Atomics platform for fear of technology theft.

Middle East & Africa

Rheinmetall has delivered the first tranche of Marder 1A3 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) to the Hellenic Armed Forces as part of a military “backfill” initiated by the German government. Following the delivery, the Hellenic Armed Forces featured the IFVs on parade in Thessaloniki. In exchange for the Marders, Greece will provide Ukrainian forces with Soviet-made IFVs and other military equipment to support the country in its ongoing struggle to repel the Russian invasion.

Europe

Rheinmetall has delivered the first tranche of Marder 1A3 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) to the Hellenic Armed Forces as part of a military “backfill” initiated by the German government. Following the delivery, the Hellenic Armed Forces featured the IFVs on parade in Thessaloniki. In exchange for the Marders, Greece will provide Ukrainian forces with Soviet-made IFVs and other military equipment to support the country in its ongoing struggle to repel the Russian invasion.

NATO allied and partner forces have trialed the French Air Force’s Mamba surface-to-air missile defense system in a live-fire exercise in Romania. The activity was conducted to prove NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) System capabilities in guarding and protecting allied airspace. Multinational aircraft tested the missile system, including Turkish F-16 Fighting Falcons and Spanish Eurofighters currently deployed on a separate NATO mission in Bulgaria.

Asia-Pacific

The Indian Navy has received its second P15B stealth guided-missile destroyer from local firm Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited. The delivery, which took place on Thursday, was part of a 2011 agreement to develop four ships under the navy’s Project 15B. The first ship in the project, INS Visakhapatnam, has been in service with the Indian Navy since last year.

Today’s Video

WATCH: Marder 1A3: Discover Germany’s IFV Sent to Greece

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.
 

 

 

Americas

Northrop Grumman won an $99.4 million modification from the US Air Force for Active Electronically Scanned Array radars of Air Force F-16 aircraft. This modification is for the exercise of options to include 42 production radars, one initial spare kit, and two readiness spare kits. This modification does not involve Foreign Military Sales. Work will take place in Maryland. Expected completion will be on July 31, 2025.

The US Army has completed a test run of the newly-developed missile communication technology, remote interceptor guidance (RIG)-360, from aerospace firm Lockheed Martin. The integrated flight test assessed the data link capabilities of Lockheed’s prototype missile communication device to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC)-3 missiles. The RIG-360, designed to leverage target data from different sensors, offers a 360-degree engagement capability for a missile interceptor.

Middle East & Africa

Kellogg Brown and Root Services won a $24.8 million deal from the Navy to exercise the fifth option period for base operations support services at Naval Support Activity (NSA), Kingdom of Bahrain. This award brings the total cumulative value of the contract to $139,198,905. Work will be performed at NSA, Kingdom of Bahrain, and completed by November 2023. Work will take place in Bahrain. Estimated completion date is in November 2023.

An attack helicopter from Pakistan will be attached to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali. The helicopter will join the MINUSMA mission in March next year. India will contribute one utility helicopter for MINUSMA as well. MINUSMA was established in 2013 to support foreign and local troops battling militants, but in recent months there have been repeated instances of tensions between the Malian authorities and the mission.

Europe

Media reports from Greece say Athens will hold crucial talks with Israel over the supply of Spike NLOS anti-tank missiles. Greece wants to equip its AH-64D attack helicopter, Machitis-class gunboat and Mark V Special Operations Craft with the missile. It is said that Greece’s General Directorate For Defense Investments And Armaments is against buying the NLOS. The talks, lead by a permanent director general of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, ll decide whether the project will proceed or delayed indefinitely.

Asia-Pacific

The Indian Air Force is seeking $171 million to buy the indigenous Rudram-1 new generation anti-radiation missile (NGARM). Cleared to be fired from the Su-30MKI or Mirage 2000, the proposal to buy the weapon will soon be discussed within the Ministry of Defense.

Today’s Video

WATCH: See it in action: SPIKE NLOS exceptional performance Live

Americas

Raytheon Intelligence and Space won a $34.2 million order by the US Navy, which of the ethernet expansion devices and the platform data server in support of integration of the MV-22 Helmet Mounted Display/Degraded Visual Environment program aboard V-22, and establish a baseline for a common software interface for integration of future capabilities on all V-22 platforms. Work will take place in Indiana and California. Estimated completion will be in July 2027.

Lockheed Martin rolled out the first F-16 Block 70/72 aircraft this week from its Greenville, South Carolina, production line. The fighter completed final assembly, checkout, and painting at Greenville on November 21 and is expected to undergo flight trials at Edwards Air Force Base, California, early next year. The F-16 Viper is one of 16 the company is building for Bahrain as part of a $1.1 billion deal inked in 2018.

Middle East & Africa

The Emirati Air Force led its biannual training exercise advanced tactical leadership course (ATLC) attended by the air forces of seven other nations at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates. The multinational air warfare training was held to increase the collective proficiency of participating countries in joint mission planning and tactical leadership.

Europe

The Royal Navy has chosen the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) to replace the Harpoon anti-ship missile for its warships. To be operational in less than 13 months, the missile from Norway will be fitted eleven Type 23 frigates and Type 45 destroyers. Babcock and BAE will be integrating the missile with support from Norway.

The Bulgarian government is poised to sign an agreement with Sweden and France to lease their second-hand fighter aircraft amid delays in the delivery of American F-16s. Sofia needs an immediate replacement for its aging fleet of MiG-29s, which are expected to be unserviceable by late 2023 due to maintenance issues. Talks about leasing French and Swedish jets started when Bulgaria sent a letter of request to seven countries (including the US) to temporarily lease their used fighter jets.

Asia-Pacific

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) will dispatch two F-15J fighters to Clark Air Base, Philippines on November 27. Along with 60 personnel, the jets will be there till Dec. 11 for join training with the Philippine Air Force (PAF).

Today’s Video

WATCH: V-22 Osprey: More than Meets the Eye

Americas

Lockheed Martin won a $47.3 million contract modification, which exercises an option to procure Ancillary Mission Equipment in support of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Lot 17 production aircraft for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, Foreign Military Sales customers, and non-US Department of Defense participants. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in December 2025. F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter (JSF) is a stealthy, supersonic multirole fighter developed by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company for the US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps and programme partners from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) and US allies. Work will take place in Texas. Estimated completion will be in December 2025.

The US Navy’s air-launched torpedo has achieved initial operational capability (IOC) after completing rigorous trials. The development was announced by American defense firm Boeing, which manufactures the anti-submarine weapon.

Middle East & Africa

Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd., a leader in the Israeli military and commercial homeland defense and aerospace markets, issues its consolidated financial statements for the nine and three months ended September 30, 2022. This period has turned out to be the most profitable one in the company’s history.

Europe

NATO’s Multinational MRTT Fleet (MMF) and the E-3A fleet have completed the first phase of their air-to-air refueling certification process. The campaign is led by the Royal Netherlands Air Force Test Organisation. Test pilots from the US Air Force is supporting the E-3A fleet for the testing portion.

The UK recently delivered Brimstone-2 missiles to Ukraine, The Telegraph reported, citing RAF delivery footage. The missile is an upgrade on the Brimstone-1 — supplied to the country in April/May — with more than twice the range.  The laser-guided missile can be fired from land vehicles, helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles.

Asia-Pacific

The US Air Force’s 319th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron has commenced MQ-9 operations from Kanoya Air Base, Japan on November 21. The unmanned aircraft will be used for surveillance and reconnaissance duties in the East China Sea and other surrounding waters until November next year. An estimated 150 to 200 US military personnel will be stationed in Kanoya to provide operational support.

Today’s Video

WATCH: Inside the $270 Million Nato’s Flying Control Tower | E-3A AWACS

Americas

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) has authenticated the keel of the US Navy’s Virginia class submarine Arkansas (SSN 800). The Arkansas is the 27th fast-attack submarine of its class, being constructed as part of the navy program with General Dynamics Electric Boat. The Virginia class fleet will eventually replace the aging Los Angeles-class submarines first commissioned in 1976. The ceremony was sponsored by members of the Little Rock Nine, the first African-American students to attend the all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, during desegregation in the US.

Northrop Grumman Systems won a $99.4 million deal by the Air Force Life Cycle for Active Electronically Scanned Array radars of Air Force F-16 aircraft. This modification is for the exercise of options including 42 production radars, one initial spare kit, and two readiness spare kits. Work will take place in Maryland. Expected completion date is July 31, 2025.

Middle East & Africa

Advanced Technology Systems won a $8.7 million contract modification for the Egypt Mobile Surveillance Sensor Security System Follow-on Support case expansion project. This contract provides for the acquisition of mission-critical spares, an additional training course, and continued repair and return activities to support continued Contractor Logistics Support. Work will take place in Egypt. Expected completion date is December 31, 2023.

Europe

The UK Defense and Security Accelerator (DASA) has started market exploration of innovative solutions for uncrewed anti-submarine warfare capabilities. The initiative is part of the UK Ministry of Defence Project CHARYBDIS under the Royal Navy’s Spearhead Program. Under the effort, DASA experts will identify, prototype, evaluate, and provide systems to classify, track, and report underwater vessels and submarines.

Finland’s Ministry of Defense has announced it will exercise a $137 million contract option to purchase additional K9 155mm self-propelled anti-tank howitzers for the Finnish Army. The option was approved by Finnish Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonen and the country’s Finance Committee on November 17.

Asia-Pacific

South Korea recently conducted an interception test of its Long-range Surface-to-Air Missile (L-SAM). The missile defense system successfully intercepted an incoming missile target during the test, which followed a flight test in February, Yonhap News Agency wrote, citing military officials.

Today’s Video

WATCH: Finland To Buy 48 pieces of the K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers

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, State Secretary for Defence, BJ Bentzen, 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.

Americas

The US Navy awarded Adams Communication and Engineering Technology with a $37.4 million deal, which provides for non-recurring and recurring efforts required to fabricate, assemble, and support prototyping, system integration, and installation of depot modifications associated with engineering changes to H-53 aircraft for the Navy, Marine Corps and Foreign Military Sales customers. Work will take place in California, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, Arizona, Japan, Korea and Bahrain. Expected completion will be in November 2027.

Raytheon won a $23.4 million deal for the procurement of AEGIS Modernization kits for Navy guided-missile destroyers and allied nations. The Aegis Combat System is the Navy’s most modern surface combat system. It was designed as a complete system: the missile launching element, the computer programs, the radar and the displays are fully integrated to work together. Work will take place in Massachusetts and Virginia. Estimated completion will be by March 2026.

Middle East & Africa

Turkey announced on Sunday it had carried out air strikes against the bases of outlawed Kurdish militants across northern Syria and Iraq, which it said were being used to launch “terrorist” attacks on Turkish soil. The overnight raids in northern and northeastern Syria killed at least 31 people, said the British-based monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. They were mainly against positions held by Syrian Kurdish forces.

Europe

France and Germany on Friday hailed the conclusion of a deal to build a new European fighter jet after months of disagreements between two companies involved — Airbus and Dassault Aviation. Launched by France and Germany in 2017 and since joined by Spain, the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) aims to have a next-generation jet in service by 2040, along with integrated drone fleets.

The Royal Norwegian Air Force has selected the Lockheed Martin TPY-4 as its new early warning radar. Norway becomes the first export customer of the radar, joining the US Air Force which has selected the TPY-4 for the Three Dimensional Expeditionary Long Range Radar program in March.

Asia-Pacific

Asahi news in Japan reports that Tokyo will finalize an agreement with Italy and United Kingdom to develop its next fighter. The report says Avio Aero from Italy will be involved in researching for a new engine for the F-X fighter together with Mitsubishi and Rolls-Royce.

Today’s Video

WATCH: THAAD: FCAS / SCAF : The Future European Jet ?

Americas

General Atomics won a $46.9 million contract modification by the US Navy, which exercises an option to provide spares necessary for the successful operational capability of the Marine Air Ground Task Force Unmanned Aircraft System Expeditionary Medium Altitude Long Endurance MQ-9A Block 5 Reaper air vehicles, ground control stations, and ancillary equipment. Work will take place in California, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Virginia, Ohio, Arkansas, Florida and South Carolina.

The US Navy awarded Sikorsky a $14.1 million modification, which exercises an option to provide non-recurring engineering, supplies and support necessary for the low rate initial production Lot 1 deployable configuration updates for the CH-53K heavy lift replacement aircraft for the Navy. Work will take place in Florida. Expected completion is in December 2023.

Middle East & Africa

Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems has received a $72-million contract to supply an undisclosed international customer with Hermes 900 unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Under the two-year agreement, Elbit will deliver Hermes 900 drones equipped with the company’s electro-optical system, including a wide area persistent surveillance system, multi-spectral electro-optical payload, satellite communication, and signal intelligence payloads.

Europe

The US State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Switzerland of PATRIOT Advanced Capability (PAC) 3 Missile Segment Enhanced (MSE) missiles and related equipment for an estimated cost of $700 million. The proposed sale of the PAC-3 MSE missiles will enhance the capability of Switzerland’s PATRIOT missile defense system. The proposed sale supports Switzerland’s goal of improving national and territorial defense as well as interoperability with U.S. and NATO forces. Switzerland will use the PATRIOT system and missiles to defend its territorial integrity and for regional stability. The prime contractor will be Lockheed-Martin, Dallas, Texas.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that an offer to cooperate with Australia on submarines still stood, after a bitter row over a cancelled contract last year threatened to torpedo relations. Macron was left furious when Australia’s previous prime minister Scott Morrison abruptly tore up a contract for France to build a dozen diesel-powered submarines and announced a deal to buy US or British nuclear-powered subs.

Asia-Pacific

The New Zealand government has enhanced its defense commitments to Ukraine, boosting military equipment funding and extending training for Ukrainian warfighters. Prime Minister Jacina Ardern on Monday announced an undisclosed amount of additional military support to improve Ukraine’s self defense nine months into Russia’s invasion.

Today’s Video

WATCH: Elbit Systems / HERMES 900 – Next Gen Multi-Role MALE UAS

Americas

Sikorsky won a $98.9 million deal for UH-60M Black Hawk aircraft. UH-60 Black Hawk is a multi-mission helicopter developed by Sikorsky that has been operational in the US Army since 1978. The export version of the UH-60 Black Hawk is designated as S-70A. Work will take place in Connecticut. Estimated completion date is June 30, 2027.

The US Navy is seeking proposals to build a low-cost unmanned vessel capable of towing and launching many unmanned vessels into contested environments. A design and construction contract could be awarded by mid-2026, with expected vessel delivery beginning within two years.

Middle East & Africa

The Israeli government is asking local defense manufacturers to design and produce longer-range, more stealthy armed drones for use against Iran. Defense sources told Breaking Defense that the new unmanned systems would provide the country with more attack options in the event of a conflict with its arch-foe.

Europe

Sweden will deliver new military aid worth $287 million to Ukraine. “It’s a bigger military support package than all eight previous packages combined,” Kristersson told a news conference. “It’s the single largest we’ve done, and we follow exactly the Ukrainian priority list of what they themselves think they need just now,” the Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said at a press conference. Kristersson also noted the government was closely following developments concerning the explosion in Poland near the Ukrainian border on Tuesday and that more information was needed to gain a clearer picture of what happened. On Tuesday an explosion in the eastern part of Poland, close to the Ukrainian boarder, led to an emergency meeting of the NATO ambassadors. It is still unclear wether the explosion came from Russian missile. NARO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg however said on Wednesday that the explosion was most likely caused by a Ukrainian air defense missile.

The armaments group Rheinmetall has set itself higher financial targets for the medium term because of the armament in many NATO countries. In 2025, the Düsseldorf group wants to achieve sales of between 10 and 11 billion euros, as it announced on Wednesday at an investor event in Vienna. The operating profit margin, which Rheinmetall uses to measure its profitability, is expected to increase to around 13 percent.

Rheinmetall AG will soon dispatch main battle tanks and other military hardware to Slovakia, a move that will allow the country to transfer equipment to Ukraine as NATO continues to support Kyiv in its fight against Russian forces. The German defense company said Wednesday that it would be sending 15 Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks and ammunition to Slovakia as well as a service package including training and spare parts. The first vehicle is expected to be shipped in December and the company aims to complete deliveries by the end of 2023. The vehicles that Rheinmetall will be providing were formerly in the inventories of various states, the company said.

Asia-Pacific

Taiwan has introduced its new single-rotor drone for surveillance and reconnaissance missions. The unmanned system was unveiled by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCIST) during a demonstration conducted on Tuesday. According to local media outlets, the drone features a larger payload capacity than other unmanned aerial vehicles in Taiwan’s arsenal.

Today’s Video

WATCH: US intelligence believes Ukraine fired missile that landed in Poland

Americas

BAE Systems Land & Armaments won a $32 million contract modification, for M2A4 and M7A4 Bradley Fighting Vehicles. Work will be performed in York, Pennsylvania, with an estimated completion date of August 23, 2023. M2A4 is designed to provide protected transport of soldiers and direct fires to support dismounted infantry, disrupt or destroy enemy military forces, and control land areas. The Bradley Engineering Change Proposal (ECP), termed M2/M7A4, includes changes intended to restore ground clearance, suspension reliability, and lost mobility, and to improve situational awareness. The M2/M7A4 maintains the survivability enhancement features found on legacy vehicles, to include the Bradley Urban Survivability Kits, Bradley Reactive Armor Tiles, and Add-on Armor Kit that the Army developed and fielded based on lessons learned during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Huntington Ingalls Industries won a $36 million modification for work previously authorized and completed, related to the various warfare system installations and testing necessary to support the completed construction for USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78). USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) is the lead ship of her class of. The Gerald R. Ford class is a class of nuclear powered aircraft carriers. Work is already completed and took place in Virginia.

Middle East & Africa

Spain has once again extended the deployment period of a Patriot air defense missile unit in Turkey. This time, the soldiers and their equipment will remain till June 2023. Deployed in Adana, the Spanish Patriot unit has been stationed there since 2015. Taking over from the Netherlands, which arrived in January 2013 to protect Turkey from possible attacks by Syria.

Iran unveiled the longer-range Sayyad 4B surface-to-air missile for its Bavar-373 air defense system earlier this month. The latest in the Sayyad series of solid-fuel missiles struck a target at 300 kilometers (186.41 miles) in an October test, an increase of 100 kilometers (62 miles) over earlier versions, state-backed Tasnim News reported.

Europe

Germany and Spain are planning to train thousands of Ukrainian troops under an EU program to help bolster Kyiv’s fightback against Russia, officials said Tuesday. Their assistance adds to announcements already given by other EU countries that they will train Ukrainian soldiers on their territories.

Asia-Pacific

South Korea has embarked on a new $38-million project to upgrade its K-9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers. The country’s Agency for Defense Development will reportedly invest in a super long-range cannon to double the shooting range of the weapon system. The upgrade comes amid rising demand for increased shooting range due to increased artillery threat from North Korea and the rising capabilities of rival products.

Today’s Video

WATCH: Iran’s New Air Defense Missile – Sayyad 4B

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.