Defense`s Feeds

Americas Timken Gears & Services won a $119.2 million modification to exercise the options for three Main Reduction Gear shipsets to support DDG-51 class. Work is scheduled to be completed by November 2027. The DDG-51 class is a class of guided missile destroyers in the United States Navy. It is also known as the Arleigh […]

Americas Boeing won a §200 million modification, which procures critical long lead material and associated efforts in support of maintaining the full rate production timeline for the congressionally added F/A-18E/F aircraft. Work will be performed in El Segundo, California (68.9%); St Louis, Missouri (20.2%); Goleta, California (2.5%); East Aurora, New York (1.7%); Blossom, Texas (1.3%); […]

Americas Northrop Grumman Systems won a $60.3 million cost reimbursable modification to a previously awarded contract. This modification adds scope to procure long lead components, material, parts, and associated support, in support of maintaining the MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft systems production schedule for two unmanned air vehicles and one main operating base for the Navy. […]

Better radar detection of hypersonic missiles, cyber cross-domain technology for defence systems and Graph Neural Networks (GNN) in tactical communications were areas of research worthy of  the European Defence Agency’s first ever EDA Research, Technology, and Innovation Papers Awards. EDA rewarded three original and valuable defence-related papers covering technologies, processes and applications for enhanced future defence. 

The winning entries have come up with ideas which, if implemented between now and 2035, could contribute to enhance specific EU defence capabilities.

 

EDA Deputy Chief Executive André Denk told the European Defence Innovation Days event, where the prizes were awarded: “EDA wants to attract young talent in the defence sector and retain unique specialised skills. We believe that this initiative will stimulate young innovators to widen their network.”

EDA received 20 submissions from many different institutions, mostly academia. 

The list of winners, in alphabetical order are:

Pepijn COX, from the Radar Technology Department at TNO in The Hague (Netherlands), main author of a paper titled "Enhanced Radar Detection of Hypersonic Threats through the Application of Irregular Waveforms and Advanced Processing". Cox told the award ceremony that the ability to detect hypersonic missiles earlier would win valuable time to defend against such weapons. The combination of novel technologies extends the detection range, giving more reaction time.

Vasiliki DEMERTZI, from the Computer Science Department, School of Science International Hellenic University (Greece), main author of a paper titled “Prescriptive Auto-Maintenance Architecture for Trustworthy Cross-Domain-Implementation in Tech-Defence”. Demertzi told the award ceremony that her work in real-time data analytics could allow military systems to operate at peak performance, also improving their reliability and potentially allowing faster and more effective repairs.

Johannes LOEVENICH, from Secure Communication & Information at Thales (Germany), main author of a paper titled “GNN-based Deep Reinforcement Learning with Adversarial Training for Robust Optimization of Modern Tactical Communication Systems”. Loevenich told the award ceremony that his research sought to create a game-like environment and handle massive amounts of data from tactical systems to solve complex problems, for example in routing and cyber security.

 

Americas Raytheon won a $23.2 million deal for the procurement of five APY-10 radar system weapon repairable assemblies (WRAs), for a total quantity of 43 WRAs in support of the P-8A aircraft. The delivery order does not include an option period. All work will be performed in McKinney, Texas. Delivery orders are expected to be […]

Turning commercial technology into military capabilities, supporting small- and medium-sized enterprises and harnessing European unity in the face of Russia’s war in Ukraine are essential for EU defence innovation,  High Representative Josep Borrell, who is head of the European Defence Agency (EDA), told participants of European Defence Innovation Days 2023. 

“Innovation in defence is critical for Europe’s security,” Borrell said in a video message. He added that technology was changing the parameters of warfare, as it has always done. Innovation has also become a factor shaping the international security environment and the global balance of power, Borrell said.  

China, Russia and the United States are all investing in all areas of defence. The European Union is also seeking to develop more cooperative defence projects among its Member States after years of neglect of armed forces and a focus on only national priorities.  

Recalling the demand by EU Member States for more innovation from EDA, Borrell said that “the European Defence Agency is delivering”, noting that 500 participants with more than 50 stands and innovation pitches made up the European Defence Innovation Days this year.  

EDA, which offers the platform for collaborative defence research and capability development, has a central role to play as technology, in areas from satellites to cyber security, bridges both the civilian and military worlds. 

Echoing Borrell’s urgency, EDA Chief Executive Jiří Šedivý said that “to retain our strategic advantage, it is crucial that we prioritise innovation driven by capabilities.”  

As EU Member states and NATO allies increase defence commitments and forecast greater spending increases, Šedivý also noted that it was important to match the demands for new capabilities from defence planners with what small start-ups, academia and other innovators are developing.  

“That is a must to complement long term developments with short cycles of innovation,” Šedivý said. He also said that European Defence Innovation Days were a good forum to try to identify the best strategies for bridging the gap between technology and capabilities, and at the earliest stage possible. 

The European Defence Innovation Days event has been organised for the second year running by the European Defence Agency, this year under the auspices of the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU, bringing together start-ups, defence industry and the wider defence community as part of EDA’s Hub for EU Defence Innovation (HEDI).  

'Talk is cheap' 

Pål Jonson, Sweden’s Minister for Defence, warned against too much talk of strategy and planning, instead urging EU Member States to learn from each other and work closely with industry.  

“It's not enough, of course, to say that defence innovation is important. Talk is cheap,” Jonson said. He cited an expression used in management consultancy that ‘culture eats strategy for breakfast’, meaning that no matter how great a strategy is, a constructive, encouraging culture is more important. 

In that vein, he called for an innovative culture of collaboration. “We in the defence sector are never going to be able to do this alone, without close cooperation with the civilian research and the industry. This is all about partnership,” he told participants.  

He also said it should be a priority for lower the barriers for smaller companies into the defence market. 

About HEDI 

HEDI acts as a platform to stimulate, facilitate and support cooperation on defence innovation among Member States while ensuring operational benefits with the European Commission’s EU defence innovation scheme, and NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA). 

A European Defence Agency-managed project to develop a fleet of unmanned ground vehicles has been successfully completed with a final demonstration of a system.  

The project ARTUS (Autonomous Rough-terrain Transport Unmanned Ground Vehicles Swarm) developed a demonstrator for a small swarm of intelligent and autonomously operating vehicles to support infantry platoons during their missions. Whether for transport or observation missions, a swarm can increase troops’ ability to act by supporting them in hostile environments, including in mountainous or forested terrain, increasing their protection level and allowing the greater mobility of a unit. 

Completion of ARTUS comes as Europe’s defence community meets in Brussels for the 30 May to 1 June 2023 European Defence Innovation Days. The ARTUS project is an example of the collaborative role of both industry and EDA in developing new technology for the benefit of EU armed forces.  

The implementation of ARTUS, a project selected under the 2019 call for proposals for the EU Preparatory Action on Defence Research (PADR), was launched in February 2021 and ended in January 2023. It had a budget of €1.5 million. 

Using two autonomous ground robots embedded with a computer, the system works by allowing interaction between an geolocalised operator and the swarm, using a Battle Management System and a fleet navigation algorithm. 

The guidance algorithm ensures certain constraints in both the autonomous and supervised motion of a swarm of navigation, following either a predefined path, or managed by a geolocalized operator or tele-operated robot.  

With the ability to avoid obstacles, as welll as collisions with robots, a single operator can manage the entire swarm by defining the desired path or collective motion behavior,  for example in transportation or observation missions. The swarm can continue the mission even if one robot loses its communication or mobility capabilities.  

The ARTUS consortium was led by Fraunhofer Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V. (Germany) and also encompassed ONERA (France), Diehl Defence (Germany), and charismaTec (Austria), a highly innovative SME. The project had a duration of 24 months. 

About the PADR  

The ARTUS project was part of the Preparatory Action on Defence Research (PADR) launched by the European Commission in 2017 to assess and demonstrate the added-value of EU supported defence research and technology (R&T). It paved the way for the European Defence Fund (EDF), under the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework (2021-2027).  

The PADR implementation is run by EDA following the mandate via a Delegation Agreement between the European Commission and EDA signed on 31 May 2017. By this agreement the Commission entrusts EDA with the management and implementation of the research projects launched within the PADR. 

Americas The US has tested an upgraded satellite communications (SATCOM) capability on an MQ-9 Reaper aerial drone during a multilateral exercise at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. Led by the Air National Guard-Air Force Reserve Test Center (AATC), the demonstration is part of an effort to deploy the drone on future intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance […]

Americas Electric Boat won a $48.6 million modification for the Next Generation Submarine Science and Technology Research effort. The contract modification adds five new option periods. The proposed effort is to develop technologies for transition to the Virginia and Columbia submarine acquisition programs, and to provide technology options for the next SSN class that improve […]

Americas Sikorsky won a $12 million modification, which provides production systems engineering and program management support for CH-53K full-rate production. The CH-53K is a type of helicopter used by the military. The “K” in CH-53K stands for “King Stallion. It is specifically engineered to perform heavy-lift missions that surpass the capabilities of other helicopters. With […]

What should the European Union and its Member States do if its energy production and transport infrastructure were attacked by hostile groups in a region where like-minded, democratic countries coexisted with unfriendly authoritarian regimes?  What if vulnerable critical energy infrastructure was essential for defence? 

As the European Defence Agency contributes to EU security, EDA organised on May 25-26 its hybrid threats tabletop exercise in Bulgaria, bringing together more than 80 experts from different European countries, institutions and organisations.  

Conducted under the third phase of the Consultation Forum for Sustainable Energy in the Defence and Security Sector (CF SEDSS III), EDA and the European Commission Directorate-General Joint Research Centre (DG JRC) also presented a new study on enhancing the resilience of defence-related critical energy infrastructure (CEI) against hybrid threats. 

UNDERSTANDING NEW TACTICS 

The study found that armed forces must consider a new set of combined and blurred threats that can impair their operational effectiveness in war and peace. 

That scenario was also tested in the tabletop exercise, hosted by the Bulgarian Defence Institute (BDI), under the auspices of the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence. In a fictitious scenario where an imaginary country threatens stability around a critical waterway with both non-renewable and renewable energy resources, EU countries and their partners needed to protect their energy supplies and advance their interests.  

The tabletop exercise is part of efforts to develop the EU’s longer-term resilience, imagining a situation of a synchronised and deliberate attack on democratic states and their institutions. The exercise relied on a simulation involving fictional hostile states as well as criminal and para-military organisations who sought to undermining or damage targets through direct attacks and covert means. 

Different European ministries, EU institutions, the Helsinki Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats (HCoE) and experts from industry and academia aimed to better understand hybrid threats, including new tactics and targets and strengthen the resilience of defence-related critical energy infrastructure. They also plan to provide the ministries of defence recommendations and develop awareness about the role individuals, civil society and companies can play in building resilience to hybrid threats. 

RARE OPPORTUNITY 

“This tabletop exercise hosted in Sofia is a rare opportunity to encourage collaboration between European stakeholders in defence and civilian sectors. It helps deepen our shared understanding of how hybrid threats can impact critical energy infrastructure and subsequently compromise our armed forces' operational effectiveness", said Radostin Iliev, Director of the Defence Policy Directorate at the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence. 

Jiří Šedivý, Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency, said: “The exercise allows us to take advantage of diverse perspectives in developing comprehensive solutions to bolster defence energy resilience.” 

Georgios Giannopoulos, Deputy Director Space, Security and Migration Directorate at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, said: “It is one of these moments where science, strategic thinking and operational capabilities are beautifully bundled together”. 

About 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. 

More information:

• CF SEDSS website 

• EDA-led energy forum meets to reduce defence carbon footprint (europa.eu) 

• Fifth Consultation Forum meets in Prague to promote sustainable energy in defence (europa.eu) 

• 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 Boeing won a $14.2 million order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement. This order provides manufacturing, assembly and delivery of various peculiar support equipment in support of the F/A-18E/F program. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be completed in December 2026. Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems […]

Americas Rolls-Royce won a $21.5 million modification, which exercises an option for the production and delivery of eight AE1107C engines in support of the V-22 Osprey for the Navy. Work will be performed in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is expected to be completed in November 2024. Fiscal 2023 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of […]

Americas Austal USA has received a $113.9 million deal to design the US Navy Auxiliary General Ocean Surveillance Ship (T-AGOS 25). The agreement includes a $3.2 billion option for the design and construction of up to seven T-AGOS vessels. Work on the first T-AGOS will take place at various US locations in partnership with L3Harris Technologies, […]

On 23 May, EU Ministers of Defence met in the European Defence Agency (EDA) Steering Board under the chairmanship of High Representative Borrell in his capacity as Head of the Agency.

The HRVP updated ministers about the signature of the Administrative Arrangement between the European Defence Agency and the US Department of Defense (DoD), as well as the second edition of the European Defence Innovation Days (31 May - 1 June 2023, Brussels) which will focus on the challenges and opportunities in connecting technological innovation and capability development.

Ministers then exchanged views on capability implications of the war in Ukraine, based a comprehensive analysis conducted by EDA experts, in view of the upcoming revision of the EU Capability Development Priorities foreseen in November.

For the first time since the creation of EDA and since Denmark joined EDA in March 2023, the EDA Steering Board gathered all 27 EU Member States.

 

Further information 

• European Defence Innovation Days 2023 (europa.eu)
• Denmark joins the European Defence Agency (europa.eu)
• EDA–U.S. Department of Defense Administrative Arrangement Signed (europa.eu)

The Council has adopted a fifth wave of collaborative projects within the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) framework, with 11 new projects and a total of 15 Member States participating. The projects cover six military domains and include critical capabilities such as munitions, counter artillery and medium-size helicopter. The updated list of projects under PESCO now stands at 68.

OPERATIONAL FOCUS

The new projects adopted in the fifth wave will help increase the coherence of the European capability landscape and deliver operational benefits for European Armed Forces. Projects range from the development of new military capabilities and the identification of future needs in areas such as future military rotorcrafts and air-launched missiles, to communication infrastructure and joint training for defence airlift. The 11 new projects cover six military domains: training (1) land (2), maritime (3), air (2), cyber/C4ISR (2) and joint, enabling (1) and will be led by seven different Member States as project coordinators.

High Representative/Head of the Agency, Josep Borrell, said: “Against the backdrop of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its military implications, including the requirements for high-intensity warfare, these new PESCO projects aim at delivering critical capabilities with a more operational focus. We cannot build a stronger European defence without ensuring European armed forces are ready and well-equipped for future challenges. Today PESCO is moving forward and by 2025 over 50 projects will reach their delivery phase, enhancing the EU’s defence cooperation and the EU’s ability to act.”

CRITICAL DEFENCE CAPABILITIES

• Critical Seabed Infrastructure Protection – The Critical Seabed Infrastructure Protection (CSIP) project aims at increasing the EU’s operational efficiency in the protection of critical maritime infrastructure by making best use of current, and the development of future, underwater assets.

  The six participating Member States are: Italy, Germany, Spain, France, Portugal, and Sweden. An initial project timeline for the collection and harmonisation of requirements will run until 2024 with a possible agreement on a common procurement foreseen in 2028.

• Next Generation Medium Helicopter – The Next Generation Medium Helicopter (NGMH) project aims to create a dedicated forum that will address operational needs both on the upgrade of existing fleets and on the European Next Generation Rotorcraft, harmonising the needs and timelines of EU countries on the future capabilities of rotorcrafts.

  The NGMH will ensure the availability and suitability of EU helicopter fleets until 2040 and the preparation of the European Next Generation Rotorcraft, including the ability to face high intensity conflicts. The project launch and execution year is planned for 2023, with four participating Member States: France, Italy, Finland and Sweden.

• Counter Battery Sensors – The Counter Battery Sensors (CoBaS) project aims at developing a common concept for a next generation counter-battery capability for EU armed forces and facilitating future common procurement of means for counter-artillery. Current warfare trends have reasserted the primary importance and massive use of artillery capabilities on the battlefield. In this context, the project will increase participating Member States’ ability to respond more efficiently to future trends in high intensity conflicts.

  France and Netherlands are the two participating Member States. CoBaS will deliver the newest set of capabilities, benefitting from the emerging technologies and adapted to new threats that are linked to the performance of effective artillery systems developed by 2030-2035.

• Further projects include air-to-air and anti-torpedo munitions – Eight further projects include European Defence Airlift Training Academy (EDA-TA); Anti-Torpedo Torpedo (ATT); Future Short-Range Air to Air Missile (FSRM); Integrated Unmanned Ground Systems 2 (iUGS2); Integrated Multi-Layer Air and Missile Defence system (IMLAMD); Arctic Command & Control Effector and Sensor System (ACCESS); Robust Communication Infrastructure and Networks (ROCOMIN); and ROLE 2F. Further details on the projects and participating Member States can be found here.

EDA Chief Executive, Jiří Šedivý, said: “These new 11 projects reflect Member States’ interaction during the last CARD process as well as their intention to better coordinate defence planning and capability development practices. They also stimulate the PESCO process by delivering next generation capabilities in different domains that require a joint effort at the EU level. EDA supports fifteen PESCO projects and stands ready to support its Member States going forward.”

PESCO WELCOMES DENMARK AND CLOSES THREE PROJECTS

On 23 May 2023, the Council confirmed that the participation of Denmark in PESCO, several weeks after Denmark joined the EDA.

Furthermore, three PESCO projects have closed earlier in 2023: Indirect Fire Support (EuroArtillery), EU Test and Evaluation Centres (EUTEC) and Co-basing, and three other projects are in the closing phase. As of today, 68 PESCO projects are on-going, 47 of the projects will reach the execution phase up to 2025. Out of them, 21 projects have already reached that phase and it can be expected that 26 more projects will follow until 2025.

BACKGROUND

1. Council Press Release
2. PESCO Project Spokespersons
3. PESCO Fact Sheet
4. PESCO Website
5. On 11 December 2017, the Council adopted a decision establishing Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). PESCO enables participating member states to work more closely together in the area of security and defence. This permanent framework for defence cooperation allows willing and able member states to develop jointly defence capabilities, invest in shared projects, and enhance the operational readiness and contribution of their armed forces.
6. PESCO projects have been adopted by the Council and launched across five different waves;
   • 6 March 2018 – 17 projects
   • 19 November 2018 – 17 projects
   • 12 November 2019 – 13 projects
   • 16 November 2021– 14 projects
   • 23 May 2023 – 11 projects
7. Each of the projects is carried forward by varying groups of PESCO participating Member States (project members) and is coordinated by one or more of them (project coordinators). The project members may agree among themselves to allow other participating Member States to join as project members or to become observers to the project.
8. The key difference between PESCO and other forms of cooperation is the legally binding nature of its 20 binding commitments undertaken by participating Member States to one another. These include increasing defence spending, planning and developing defence capabilities together and improving the interoperability of forces and joint use of existing and future capabilities.
9. 26 states participate in PESCO, the EU 27 with the exemption of Malta. There are 22 common members in the EU and NATO, and all of them are also participating in PESCO.

 

Americas Sierra Nevada won a $56 million modification for the MC-130J Airborne Mission Networking program’s low-rate initial production. This modification provides for the procurement of production kits, spares, interim-contractor support, program management, and provisioning support. Work will be performed in Centennial, Colorado, and is expected to be completed May 19, 2023. Air Force Life Cycle […]

EDA Chief Executive, Jiří Šedivý, continued his visits to EU Member States with a series of high-level meetings and industry engagements in Latvia on 17 and 18 May.

In Riga, Jiří Šedivý participated in the National Armed Forces’ Industry Day, where he took part in a panel discussion focusing on the role of the industry in securing military logistics and reserves. In his intervention where he explained the EU’s three-track initiative on ammunition, he stressed that “the actual orders are key if we want to speed up the production and delivery of ammunition, only contracts will create binding legal commitments triggering investments”.

He met with Ms. Ināra Mūrniece, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Latvia, Lt.Gen. Leonīds Kalniņš, Commander of the National Armed Forces,  Mr. Jānis Garisons, State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, to discuss EU initiatives in support to Ukraine, as well as planned measures to strengthen the European defense industry and Latvia’s participation in European Defence Agency’s activities and projects.

EDA’s Chief Executive also visited two innovative defense SMEs and discussed about their cooperation experiences, including participation in the EU defence initiatives: Brasa, a manufacturer of tactical clothing, equipment and military personnel support systems; and Exonicus, a developer of virtual reality trauma and CBRN Simulator. Exonicus will have a stand at the European Defence Innovation Days in Brussels on 31 May – 1 June.      

The visit in Latvia was an excellent opportunity to present and exchange views on EDA’s ongoing activities and main milestones in 2023, including the upcoming revision of the Capability Development Plan, the organization of the second European Defence Innovation Days in Brussels, and the joint procurement of ammunition for Ukraine or/and the replenishment of national stocks.

Americas Lockheed Martin won a $29.2 million modification for maintenance, additional tooling and equipment for Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) Lot 19/20. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $1,090,980,036. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, and is expected to be completed by January 31, 2026. Boeing is taking […]

Americas Rockwell Collins won a $10 million modification against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N0001919G0031). This modification provides non-recurring engineering for the development of hardware and software necessary to install Mission Computer Modernization into E-6B Block I aircraft. Work will be performed in Richardson, Texas, and is expected to be completed in February 2026. […]