Brussels, 1 February 2023 - General André Erich Denk takes up his duties at EDA on 1 February 2023. As deputy to Chief Executive Jiří Šedivý, General Denk will support EDA in its mission to improve European defence capabilities, stimulate research and technology, act as a military interface for EU policies and help develop European security and defence policy.
General Denk was most recently Director Logistics of the EU Military Staff and was previously commander of the Join School of Logistics in Germany, as well as the Joint Logistics Support Group Coordination and Training Centre, Germany’s core facility for training, exercises and certification of national and international joint logistics. During his long career, he also worked as desk officer and deputy branch head for planning issues at Germany’s Federal Ministry of Defence.
General Denk has undertaken many international deployments under European Union, United Nations and NATO mandates, most recently as chief of staff of the EU Training Mission in Mali. His extensive international expertise means he brings logistics and operational knowledge with him, as well as capability planning and armaments development expertise.
General Denk said: “I am delighted to join EDA at this decisive point in European defence collaboration. I am committed to supporting Member States develop their defence capabilities together, as well as building up the European Union’s defence capacity and strengthening the European pillar in NATO.”
Born in Rotthalmünster, Germany, in 1967, General Denk joined the German armed forces in 1986. He holds a diploma in mechanical engineering and in addition, graduated from the German Command and General Staff College as well as from the French General Staff College. In addition to German, he is a native speaker of Serbo-Croatian and speaks fluent English and French. He is married and has two children.
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Today, the European Defence Agency (EDA) has launched a new project to establish a safe-communication extension for NATO Generic Vehicle Architecture (NGVA) in terms of functional safety. The project which will run over 24 months with a €3,5 million budget, is the first step in a series of Safe NGVA projects that eventually aim to develop and test physical demonstrators in relevant environments in the second and third phases.
Generic architectures are open systems to other entities and give access to data that are usually hidden in proprietary systems. As these systems are becoming more common and widely used in military vehicles, safety is one part of the NGVA that is not defined to an implementable depth.
The Safe NATO Generic Vehicle Architecture (SafeNGVA) project proposes to solve the issue by providing separate safe, but closed, sub-systems or infrastructure that is accessible by other participants in the architecture by one-way-gateways.
Led by Germany, the first phase of SafeNGVA also includes France. It will be carried out by a consortium led by Germany’s Rheinmetall and involves MBDA DE, also of Germany, and Safran, Thales and Nexter of France.
PROJECT PHASES TOWARDS PHYSICAL DEMONSTRATORSSafeNGVA in its first phase will seek to define the requirements and design a system architecture for safe communication using the NGVA. The architecture will be validated by different techniques such as performance to robustness tests, to ensure the architecture is conceptually capable of covering all necessary needs for function safety in military vehicles, and a demonstrator and simulation environment for some elements of the NGVA, to provide an implementation close to a real use case. As one of the main goals of the NGVA is to improve interoperability, a demonstration for interoperability between the member states will be performed.
In the second and third phases, the results of SafeNGVA will be used to improve the architecture and validate it further by developing demonstrators for steering a tactical vehicle and by creating a weapon system demonstrator using safety critical hardware and software solutions.
As a project managed by EDA, the initiative can be co-funded by Member States and additional participants can opt in.
The European Defence Agency
The European Defence Agency (EDA) supports its 26 Member States in improving their defence capabilities through European cooperation. Acting as an enabler and facilitator for Ministries of Defence willing to engage in collaborative capability projects, the Agency has become the ‘hub’ for European defence cooperation with expertise and networks allowing it to the whole spectrum of defence capabilities. Member States use EDA as an intergovernmental expert platform where their collaborative projects are supported, facilitated, and implemented. What we do (europa.eu)
The European Defence Agency (EDA) will support two Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) projects focused on shaping future European airlift capabilities, for both mid-sized and out-sized cargo, following a request from their project coordinators. EDA is tasked to assist with harmonisation of the requirements for two platforms; the Future Medium-Size Tactical Cargo (FMTC) and the Strategic Air Transport For Outsized Cargo (SATOC). Both projects were launched in the fourth wave of PESCO projects and are coordinated by France and Germany, respectively; with the FMTC also gathering Germany, Spain and Sweden as project members and Czechia, France and Netherlands in the four-nation SATOC project.
Medium & Outsized Cargo: Requirements for 2035+Tactical cargo aircraft are the workhorses of the air forces in terms of logistics, medical evacuations, and special missions. Currently, EU Member States operate a wide range of tactical cargo aircraft (e.g. C130, C-295, C-27J). Apart from the A400M, a modern strategic-tactical cross-over platform, many of them will be approaching the end of their life cycle in the upcoming decade. The main objective of the FMTC project is to develop next generation tactical air mobility capability of the armed forces of EU Member States. It aims at providing the participating Member States and industry with robust elements to decide what the 2035+ future of EU military tactical medium size transport fleets will be by defining common requirements for a new Future Mid-size Tactical Cargo.
SATOC aims to fill the critical shortfall for strategic transport for outsized and heavy cargo, a crucial enabler for military missions and operations. SATOC involves a 3-step approach, firstly by identifying a sufficient number of project members, harmonising requirements and finally identifying and agreeing on a common European solution for the transport of outsized cargo. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has also underscored the importance of outsized and heavy cargo transport. The destruction of several Antonov aircrafts, including AN-225 Mriya (the world’s largest cargo aircraft) has further reduced European Armed Forces access to strategic airlift.
EDA’s support to FMTC and SATOC, which will run for an initial 24 months, will be dedicated to harmonising the requirements of the project members and drafting a joint document of precise common guidance for research and development for the envisioned platform.
Common requirements for a common visionDefining common requirements is an essential step in order to allow project members to align towards a joint vision for the future medium-sized and outsized cargo aircraft. In other words, common requirement articulation can be seen as the basis that all subsequent decisions in the ensuing programme will reference. They prescribe the fundamental performance criteria and innovation level of the platform that is destined to be a crucial element in future military campaigns of Member States. Furthermore, it will serve as basis for the work of European defence industry, starting with a feasibility study and proceeding with the design and prototyping of the new generation aircraft.
Harmonised requirements lower the life-cycle cost by avoiding late design changes and excessive versioning, and prevent a fragmentation of future air mobility fleets at large by allowing for a platform development that serves an array of Member States. EDA will provide its expertise and input for the elaboration of the requirements, building on its experience in harmonisation of project partners.
EDA engages in the document drafting process by highlighting areas that connect to ongoing efforts in related fields, such as defence aviation R&T, providing its experience in interoperability matters of tactical airlift, and supports the discussion with best practices in achieving a programme that maximises Member States participation.
EDA supporting 10 PESCO projectsFMTC and SATOC are the ninth and tenth PESCO project to be supported by the Agency. PESCO, which recently marked five years since its launch, has also be able to benefit from the expertise of the EDA. EDA’s support has grown from initial modest administrative support to a couple of PESCO’s smaller-scale projects, but has since grown to include major weapons platforms, such as the FMTC and European Patrol Corvette.
EDA offers three forms of support to PESCO projects, first is administrative support by helping a PESCO project to organise meetings and providing facilities for project-related work. The second form of PESCO support is consultancy and expertise as in the case of the FMTC. Here the Agency and the PESCO project agree on the specific tasks EDA will carry out for a project. This could entail support in capturing the detailed operational and technical requirements, as well as developing its ConOps (concept of operations) by a certain deadline or defining specifications for its technical study.
The final form of EDA support is when participating members of a PESCO project choose to establish their project at the Agency, which means other Member States can choose to opt into, or join, the endeavour at a later stage, with EDA serving as project manager. To date, three PESCO projects are being taken forward within the Agency; CBRN Surveillance as a Service (CBRN SaaS); Deployable Modular Underwater Intervention Capability Package (DIVEPACK); and European Patrol Corvette.
The European Defence Agency (EDA) launched a new project on 13 January to improve the technology behind automatic targeting, as well as in threat recognition and identification, as European militaries seek to make soldiers and weapons systems more effective in battle.
Automatic target/threat recognition, identification and targeting for land systems (ATRIT) can help militaries in detecting, tracking, prioritising and selecting targets, whether off the top of a combat vehicle or from individual weapons. The technology cannot engage, however, without human command.
Led by Germany, the first phase of ATRIT will also bring together the contributing Member States of France, Greece, the Netherlands and Poland, as well as Norway. It will be carried out by a consortium led by Germany’s Rheinmetall and involves IABG, also of Germany, Safran and Thales of France, ISD SA of Greece, TNO and Thales of the Netherlands, Rheinmetall in Norway and PCO of Poland.
PHYSICAL DEMONSTRATORSWith a €2 million budget over 18 months, the EDA launch marks the first step in a series of ATRIT projects that eventually aim to develop and test physical demonstrators in relevant environments in a second phase.
ATRIT in its first phase will seek to define the requirements and design the system architecture for an overarching, cross-platform capacity to allocate military targets and enhance detection and to identify threats, including on the basis of behaviour. The new, improved software will not only have the capacity to better identify and enable automatic targeting, but also fuse different sensor data and make it easy for soldiers to use.
As a Category B project managed by EDA, the initiative is co-funded by Member States and additional participants can opt in.
ATRIT analysis in the first phase will be based on the following modules: human behaviour; 360-degree situation awareness; integration of fused sensor information; target allocation; presentation of fused data, including real-time sensor data, C4I and historical data.
For more details, please see here.
EDA'S ROLEThe European Defence Agency (EDA) supports its 26 Member States in improving their defence capabilities through European cooperation. Acting as an enabler and facilitator for Ministries of Defence willing to engage in collaborative capability projects, the Agency has become the ‘hub’ for European defence cooperation with expertise and networks allowing it to the whole spectrum of defence capabilities.
Member States use EDA as an intergovernmental expert platform where their collaborative projects are supported, facilitated, and implemented. For more details, please see here.
The European Defence Agency (EDA) has kicked-off a new research project, led by Spain and in collaboration with Germany, to develop an automatic air-to-air refuelling (A3R) operation with the hose and drogue system. The two-year EDA project which has a budget of €4 million, will involve an industry consortium of Airbus Defence and Space (Spain and Germany), GMV, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and AES Technology (Germany). A limited number of flight tests will be carried out in 2024 with an Airbus A330 MRTT tanker and Tornado aircraft provided by the two participating countries.
Innovation in the airAir-to-Air Refuelling (AAR) is one of the main pillars of air mobility and a key force multiplier. AAR is an operation that demands tanker and receiver pilots operate in close formation, flying in variable flight conditions, during the day or at night and performing high precision manoeuvres to achieve the contact. While the hose and drogue system of AAR operations has evolved in terms of new systems that provide better information to the Tanker Operator and better operational awareness, the way in which the refuelling is performed has been the same for the last 70 years. For instance, there have not been substantial improvements in providing greater assistance to the aircraft involved, in the different phases of the AAR operation.
Although nowadays the success rate of the hose and drogue contacts is high, the impact of unsuccessful contact is significant, often resulting in mission cancellations, damage to assets and hindering operational effectiveness. In view of maximising its operation effectiveness, introducing innovative automation features to the AAR systems will provide new ways to better assist the aircraft during this operation and will increase the success rate of AAR missions.
The feasibility of greater AAR automation has already been shown by Airbus when achieving a fully automatic contact with the boom system in 2020, and recent certification in 2022 of a fully automatic boom. Launching research into the hose and drogue system will prepare air-to-air refuelling tankers, such as A330 MRTT, A400M or C295, to cope with more demanding operations and be ready for the next generation of unmanned platforms.
A3R: Trade-offs, Technology and new Concepts of OperationThe first phase of the project is focused on the technology trade-off, which will be needed to perform the future automation of the operation, such as the levels of automation or assistance to be implemented for manned and/or unmanned platforms.
The technologies will be evaluated, prototyped and tested in real scenarios such as flight test. This will allow the proper identification and tracking of the hose and drogue system and the receiver aircraft. The technical gaps to be addressed will include sensors, computing capability and suitability in all weather conditions.
A simulation environment will also be developed to evaluate the optimum trajectory of the receiver aircraft towards the drogue, analysing the interaction between them. Technology gaps have already been identified around the data/communication link needed between the tanker and the receiver aircraft and how factors such as latency, integrity or accuracy of the data could affect it.
Within the current project plan, a concept to increase the drogue’s stabilisation will be developed, also evaluated in a representative environment such as in a wind tunnel.
Lastly, the project will also align this technological development with operational needs, and explore new ways of performing the AAR operation to increase its efficiency and within new scenarios to be considered in the future.
BackgroundThe project started in December 2022 and is executed under the CapTech Aerial Systems of the European Defence Agency. More information here.
EDA’s Tactical Personnel Recovery Mission Simulator (TPRMS) has achieved Full Operational Capability (FOC) on 7 December. The TPRMS is used for rehearsing Personnel Recovery missions, tactics, techniques and procedures usually considered too risky to be practiced in live training events.
TPRMS consists of twenty posts that replicates the elements of the Personnel Recovery (PR) Forces package (rotary and fixed air-wings crew, land soldier and crew of land combat vehicles, PR planners) employed when conducting military operations. Located at the Italian Air Force Base Poggio Renatico, the achievement of FOC completes the TPRMS project that begun in April 2019 with its initial set-up and subsequent declaration of Initial Operational Capability in November 2021.
EDA Chief Executive, Jiri SEDIVY, said; “TPRMS is a major achievement for European defence cooperation and the personnel recovery community. The simulator is a unique and powerful training capability to enhance European expertise in Personnel Recovery through the innovative use of training simulations, an expertise that has clear operational value in most difficult threat environments.”
FOC Ceremony
The FOC ceremony, held on 7 December, was attended by representatives from eight Member States (AT, CY, DE, HU, IT, PO, RO and SE) and five international organisations with proven expertise on PR (EPRC/ European Personnel Recovery Centre, US JPRA/Joint Personnel Recovery Agency and NATO JAPCC/Joint Air Power Competence Centre, CASPOA/Air Operations Centre of Excellence and CAOC/Centre of Combat Air Operations UEDEM).
On this occasion, an ITAF team presented a live-demo training session within the TPRMS by using a special designed Virtual Reality (VR) scenario, showcasing TPRMS performances and familiarisation with the VR technology.
Pilot Course
On the same day, and as a direct follow up to the TPRMS FOC, a new EDA project, TPRMS Pilot Course, kicked off. Coupled together, they mark a major step towards to the creation of a European common approach in how PR forces gear up for an upcoming deployment or conduct PR mission rehearsals.
Under the European Cyberspace Situational Awareness Platform (ECYSAP) project, the European Defence Agency (EDA) has recently signed a new implementing contract with a nine-member industrial consortium, led by Indra. To increase European cyberspace situational awareness, EDA is supporting four contributing Member States as the project manager of the ECYSAP project. The contract is an important step forward for the project, as it implements contributing Member States’ co-financing of the ECYSAP action launched under the European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP).
Enabling real-time Cyber Situational Awareness
Armed forces increasingly rely on the ability to operate in cyberspace across the entire spectrum of cyber operations. Today, cyber awareness is a crucial aspect of modern operations, given the rise in cyber threats and the potential significant impact of a cyber-attack. The main objective of the ECYSAP project is to develop and implement a European operational platform for enabling real-time cyber situational awareness for both national and European Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) operations.
It will provide military end-users with rapid response defensive capabilities and decision-making support. Indeed, an integrated and modular Cyber Situational Awareness (CSA) picture for national and European CSDP operations will be developed, which shall become a real-time defensive system capable of providing an automated cyber response and deployable in the same area of operations interconnected between envisaged and identified intelligent nodes.
ECYSAP is co-financed by the European Commission (under EDIDP) and four contributing Member States: Estonia, France, Italy, and Spain. It is developed in parallel with the ESC2 project which aims at the creation of a European Strategic Command and Control system from strategic to tactical level.
Background
The signature of the ECYSAP Project Arrangement was completed in December 2021. The most recent step came with the signature of the relevant implementing contract with the nine-member industrial consortium comprising Indra, Leonardo, Airbus Cybersecurity, Cybernetica, Innotec System, S2 Grupo, the Polytechnic University of Madrid, the Polytechnic University of Valencia and University “Carlos III” of Madrid.
The signature is conducted under the EDA’s “ad-hoc legal framework” to accommodate the project’s complex co-funding structure in compliance with applicable project- and security- management rules, and conducted in compliance with of Regulation 2018/1092 establishing the European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP), the European Defence Fund (EDF) precursor for development of defence products and technologies.
The successful signature of the implementing contract highlights the unique role and expertise of EDA in the management of strategic European projects that rely on co-funding between EU institutions and Member States and paves the way for a similar construct under development actions co-funded by the EDF.
Today, the European Commission, the European Defence Agency (EDA) and the Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation (OCCAR) signed Contribution Agreements to delegate the implementation, under indirect management, of four strategic defence projects under the European Defence Fund.
For EDA, the agreements involve two research projects:
ARTURO - The project ARTURO will provide a solution to fulfil future operational needs for advanced radar technologies in Europe.
ECOBALLIFE - The project ECOBALLIFE will research eco-designed ballistic systems for durable lightweight protection against current and new threats in platform and personal applications.
For OCCAR, the agreements involve two development projects:
European Patrol Corvette (EPC) - The EPC will focus on the initial phase of a European innovative, modular, flexible, interoperable, green, multirole vessel, enabling European navies to face the 21st century challenges.
European Hypersonic Defence Interceptor (EU-HYDEF) - The project EU HYDEF will define the concept for a European Interceptor to achieve the highest maneuverability and capability to respond to high velocity threats.
Selected under the €1.2 billion European Defence Fund 2021 calls for proposals, these projects are highly important for the development of key EU defence and technological capabilities. The EU funding contribution to these four projects amounts to €190 million (almost 17% of the total EDF 2021 budget).
The signing ceremony was attended by Timo Pesonen, Director-General of DG DEFIS; Jiří Šedivý, EDA Chief Executive; and Matteo Bisceglia, OCCAR EA Director.
During the ceremony, they stated:
“This Contribution Agreement is an excellent opportunity for the European Commission and EDA to join forces and expertise, unlock synergies and build mutual trust again after the Pilot Project and the Preparatory Action on Defence Research (PADR). This agreement can also pave the way for a continuous long-term cooperation, based on the governance framework and taking advantage of expertise and resources of the two organisations.” - Jiří Šedivý, EDA Chief Executive.
“The collaboration with the EDA and OCCAR under the EDF's precursor programmes EDIDP and PADR has already proven to be fruitful. The high-level expertise of both the EDA and OCCAR is crucial to implement projects of a very strategic nature and help to make the implementation of the European Defence Fund a resounding success. That is why the Commission is very happy to continue to work together to show the EU Defence community that cooperation among European/International Institutions is active in delivering tangible capabilities through EDF.” - Timo Pesonen, Director-General of DG DEFIS, European Commission.
“I strongly share the objective that cooperation between OCCAR and the Commission should grow more and more in order to strengthen the European Defence Industry and to assist Europe in making its defence environment more independent from our strategic partner across the Atlantic.” - Matteo Bisceglia, OCCAR EA Director.
With the adoption, on 2 December 2022, of the first award of 61 projects supported by the European Defence Fund (EDF), the Commission has approved an investment of around €1.2 billion in collaborative defence research and development projects. Read the individual project factsheets and general information on the EDF 2021 calls for proposals results here.
Share My Space, a ‘NewSpace’ company founded in 2017 and part of the emerging commercial space industry, wins this year's European Defence Agency (EDA) Defence Innovation Prize. This year’s €30,000 prize focused on space-based surveillance and reconnaissance defence technologies. It was awarded to Share My Space at EDA's annual conference in Brussels on 8 December, 2022.
Most space debris is tracked from earth and relies on NASA and the U.S. Department of Defence’s Space Surveillance Network, as well as the U.S. Air Force’s space-tracking system that uses ground-based sensors. In Europe, Toulouse-based company Share My Space is among a small group of private companies offering the service, tracking artificial satellites and space debris, using its ground-based telescopes.
But it wants to go one step further. With the help of EDA, it could develop a project to put 12 microsatellites into space to monitor space junk with much greater accuracy. If successful, every 90 minutes, the satellites would be able to send back a full scan of a region in space and allow companies to make trajectory decisions. “No sensor at ground level can give that kind of precision,” says Norbert Pouzin, a Spaceflight Dynamics Engineer at Share My Space. “To have precise and accurate data on all orbits, at a high time-frequency, you need the combination of a ground-based and space-based observation system. A surveillance constellation will only be high-performance with a full network of ground-based sensors linked to it,” Pouzin says.
Collisions are not theoretical either. According to the European Space Agency, the first-ever accidental in-orbit collision between two satellites occurred in February 2009 above Siberia, when a privately-owned U.S. communication satellite, Iridium-33, and a Russian military satellite, Kosmos2251, collided. Both were destroyed.
The microsatellites form the essence of Share My Space’s winning proposal for the EDA’s 2022 Innovation Prize. While the €30,000 prize money can only be seed money considering the potential €720 million cost of the project, it does bring the company publicity and credibility, Pouzin says. “It shows we have the know-how and will help us put this proposal at the ministerial level in France, and at the European level.”
Competitive fieldShare My Space’s proposal involves sending up the microsatellites with three crucial pieces of technology: a narrow field of view photo sensor telescope, a ‘fish-eye’ wide angle camera, and a laser to track objects. If Share My Space could secure an EDA-led project with funding from Member States, it would likely create a consortium to build the satellites – a so-called Category B project that would allow Member States to opt-in to the project and in which only participating states would pay towards the costs of the project. Share My Space is working on the basis of a 30-month development cycle, with a five-year mission.
As in previous years, EDA’s Innovation Prize competition was very high, not just in terms of the number of proposals – 15 in all – but also in terms of quality. “This year, we added an incentive to promote the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises, including start-ups, and give them the opportunity to bring their innovative proposals to the defence sector,” says Jean-François Ripoche, EDA Director for Research, Technology and Innovation (RTI).
Ripoche says that Share My Space was selected because “it proved to be very innovative, proposing a solution based on a dedicated satellites’ constellation which would provide more continuous coverage and high accuracy position of the detected objects. By combining this architecture and the latest optical sensors technology, this proposal will put EU defence at the forefront in space surveillance. ”As the amount of space junk is set to steadily increase, Share My Space’s proposal could not have come sooner.
A full version of this article is available in EDA's magazine European Defence Matters, Edition 24.
Act fast. Face up to war in Ukraine. Prepare for 2040. Those were the messages from industry panelists and experts gathered on Thursday to discuss strategic autonomy and defence industrial gaps at the European Defence Agency (EDA) annual conference.
As years of underspending take their toll on Europe’s defence capacities, Member States face the challenge not only of building back their armed forces but ensuring a certain level of strategic autonomy - relying less on the United States. That burden also falls on the European defence industry that has long been geared to peacetime production, the panel heard.
“The war in Ukraine has highlighted our capability shortfalls,” said Jean-Pierre Maulny, Deputy Director, French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs (IRIS). “The United States has larger stocks of anti-tank missiles and air defence systems. Sometimes we in Europe don’t do more because we cannot do more,” he told the panel.
In the search for more self-reliance, Tuija Karanko, Secretary General, Association of Finnish Defence and Aerospace Industries, reminded the 300 participants in Brussels and the 1,000 registered online viewers that: “all the military people in this room have known about their gaps for many years … We need more of that transparency.”
For industry, strategic autonomy needs to exist at different levels, but that is difficult because the EU cannot control everything at every level. “We are not fully autonomous because we have key companies depending on third parties,” said Pablo Gonzalez, Director NATO and EU Defence & Space, Indra. There is a need for younger, skilled engineers, the panel heard.
So what to do? More European collaboration will lower costs, as well as joint research and joint development. Joint procurement for strategic assets made in Europe could help. But having a “Buy European” law, as in the United States, brings risks of isolation for the European continent, Karanko said.
For Laurynas Šatas, Chief Executive at Aktyvus Photonics, Europe has the potential to improve, but there is a need for more emphasis on the defence sector. As a Lithuanian laser company, Aktyvus Photonics is an example of a small- and medium-sized company that would benefit from a better environment with less European bureaucracy to bridge ambition and reality as it seeks to pass innovation up to bigger companies. “We have the intellectual capacity. Tomorrow is in our hands,” he said.
European armed forces are not fully prepared for a large-scale conflict with Russia, Major General Karel Řehka, Chief of Defence, Czech Republic, told the European Defence Agency (EDA) annual conference on Thursday. “We must primarily prepare for the most difficult and most dangerous scenario: that is the large-scale war against an advanced adversary,” General Řehka told the conference. Despite EU support to Ukraine, the Union must also do more for Kyiv, he said. “If Ukraine does not succeed, our security will be at risk for decades.”
Joint procurement to replenish weapons' stocks is central to that. “The area of joint procurement has already proved its added-value. And EDA has expertise for this,” he said.
"When it comes to military capabilities I need the following: I need timely delivery of military equipment, I need interoperability of systems on the battlefield. And I also need the possibility of gradual upgrades throughout the whole lifecycle, especially with the speed of changing technologies," General Řehka said.
In his keynote speech to 300 participants at EDA’s annual gathering in Brussels, as well as some 1,000 registered online, General Řehka also urged the European defence community to consider the future. EU Member States must focus on advanced weapons’ systems for a horizon of three decades' time. “We have faced strategic shocks every 10 to 15 years. So it would be very naïve to think that would not happen again,” General Řehka warned.HYBRID THREATS
Shining a spotlight on transatlantic ties, EDA's Chief Executive Jiří Šedivý discussed security and defence cooperation with Ambassador Julianne Smith, the United States' Permanent Representative to NATO, who stressed the need for resilience and adaptation to hybrid threats, particularly from Russia and China. "I think the priority for us is really looking at ways in which we can come together to address some of these hybrid tactics that nations around the world are increasingly relying on," Ambassador Smith said.
In a later panel debate moderated by EDA’s Deputy Chief Executive Olli Ruutu, senior officials also discussed how to develop, procure and operate together. Stacy A Cummings, General Manager at NATO’s Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), cautioned that, despite the war in Ukraine, governments were still not coming together as one to coordinate and agree a single contract for the defence industry.
She said that in the area of ammunition, countries are “coming to us individually to give a demand signal for a specific type of ammunition. The nations are coming one at a time. What we need is a convening mechanism.” Cummings said she hoped to see that change in the next five years across the defence spectrum as processes and policy adapt from peacetime to the more demanding security environment. “We can’t afford to invest in individual solutions.”
Kim Jorgensen, Director-General and Permanent Representative to the EU at the European Investment Bank, made a pledge for an end to duplication. But he said that there were constraints on where the bank can invest when it comes to defence. “In the area of military mobility, we can see a big role for us,” he said, referring to EDA-led work on standardising cross-border military transport procedures.
Vice Admiral Arie Jan de Waard, National Armaments Director and Director of the Defence Materiel Organisation, the Netherlands, was also clear at the conference on the need for collaboration, saying: “Don’t duplicate. Do it (develop weapons) with EDA, do it with NSPA. Strive for interoperability. Use the same systems.”
Timo Pesonen, Director General, DG DEFIS, European Commission, said he welcomed the political guidance at the highest political level on defence. He urged for the EU to press forward on innovation, highlighting EDA’s innovation hub. “We need to have a common programme with Member States and EDA to attract young engineers and change the image of the defence industry.”
Swedish Minister of Defence Pål Jonson laid out on Thursday Sweden’s aims for its Presidency of the Council of the European Union from January, focusing on the EU's Strategic Compass, support for Ukraine and partnerships with non-EU countries. “Europe needs to be a stronger security actor,” Minister Jonson said. “To my mind, there is no zero-sum game for a stronger NATO and a stronger EU,” he asserted.
Speaking at EDA’s annual conference “Investing in European Defence”, Minister Jonson also said his country continued to push for full NATO membership to help protect Europe from Russian revanchism. He also warned not to repeat the mistakes of the past in collaboration, saying there were lessons to be learned from the “graveyard of failures” in international defence cooperation.
“This is one of the most critical situations for European security since the end of the Second World War,” Minister Jonson told the conference, which brought together some 1,300 participants in Brussels and online. “This raises a lot of new questions for us, both in regard to our capabilities and our defence industrial base,” he said.
In a ministerial panel chaired by EDA Chief Executive Jiří Šedivý, Jan Jireš, Deputy Minister for Defence Policy and Strategy, Czech Republic, detailed the progress during the Czech EU presidency on joint procurement. "Joint procurement can take many forms. Look at what we are doing with Slovakia, together buying from Sweden. This is not, strictly speaking, joint procurement. But we are cooperating, trying to coordinate. And there are many benefits," Deputy Minister Jireš said.
STANDARDISATION, JOINT PROCUREMENT ARE CRUCIALGreece’s Minister of Defence Nikolaos Panaiotopoulos also expressed his support for more European cooperation, echoing a growing sentiment by saying “if not now, then when?” “For many Member States, we will terminate the use of obsolete Russian and Soviet weapons listed in all our systems. Now is the opportunity for newly-produced capabilities in the EU,” Minister Panaiotopoulos said, highlighting the revival of shipbuilding in Greece. "I think the world is in flux. I think we are facing a not-so-subtle attack on the notion of our Western societies. We need to take that into consideration now and act with one sense of urgency," he said.
For Sweden, maintaining the EU’s support for Ukraine remains a priority, Minister Jonson said, emphasizing the need to use existing EU initiatives. He also spoke of developing standardisation of arms and ammunition, harmonising of requirements and joint procurement as the EU seeks to provide Kyiv with the capabilities it needs to fight Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“We always say that we are a big, small country. But we try to lead by example, we launched our support package for the Ukraine just two weeks ago,” Minister Jonson said. “It is crucial that Ukraine regains its territorial sovereignty,” he said.
Minister Jonson said the Swedish EU presidency would focus on taking forward the Strategic Compass, particularly in cyber and space. Working close with the United States, Canada and Britain, as non-EU countries, will be a critical part of the Swedish EU presidency, he said.
Europe needs to take more responsibility for its own security, and look not just to the war in Ukraine but face up to future threats, Head of the European Defence Agency (EDA), High Representative Josep Borrell said on Thursday. Speaking at EDA’s annual conference in Brussels, Borrell called on Member States to cooperate more to equip Member States with the defence capacities the European Union needs.
At the forum, “Investing in European Defence”, Head of Agency Borrell said the EU was also at a turning point in defence spending, after the EU’s Member States surpassed the €200 billion-level in 2021 for the first time. Borrell presented EDA defence data for 2021.
“After the Cold War, we shrunk our forces to small-size armies without coordination … We lack critical defence capabilities,” Borrell said. “We have to compensate years of underspending”, he told the conference.
“Total defence expenditure that Member States have announced will grow by another €70 billion in the next three years,” Borrell said. “But people don’t fight with banknotes. There’s a lot of work to be done. This is going to be a challenge to spend this money in a coordinated manner. If our national decisions are only focusing on present needs … it will be again a fragmented European capability landscape.”
Speaking to the EU defence community, with some 300 participants at the Brussels venue and many more following online, Borrell said we need to find the right balance between responding to present needs and preparing for future threats.
Borrell outlined the positive trends but underscored the risks. “We are facing real threats, close by and likely to get worse,” Borrell said.
EDA READY TO SUPPORT PROCUREMENTDefence investments in the EU reached a record level of €52 billion in 2021, making up almost a quarter of total defence spending. For the third year in a row, EU Member States collectively met and went beyond the 20% agreed benchmark. Nineteen Member States reached the benchmark, the highest number since EDA started collecting data, and five more than in 2020.
But even if collaborative defence equipment procurement rose to 18% of total spending on equipment from 11% in 2020, “we are still far below the 35% agreed benchmark,” Borrell said.
Borrell told the conference that EDA stands ready to support the actual procurement, or even act as contracting agent, if Member States so wish. The Agency has the legal basis and experience to do so
The EU needs to address short term needs by investing and procuring jointly. “Put simply: buying more together,” Borrell said.
EDA Chief Executive Jiří Šedivý also told the conference that Europe must ramp up its capacity to act militarily – because EU citizens want it. “Our citizens want and expect us to act. A recent flash Eurobarometer survey that three quarters of Europeans say that ‘we need grater military cooperation within the EU.’
Brussels, 8 December 2022. The European Defence Agency (EDA) has today published its annual Defence Data report for 2020-2021, detailing defence spending by the 26 EDA Member States. In 2021, total European defence spending stood at a new high of €214 billion, marking a further 6% increase on 2020 and the seventh year of consecutive growth. EDA’s report finds that Member States are investing more than ever on the procurement of defence equipment and research and development with a 16% rise compared to 2020, totalling a record €52 billion.
RECORD EUROPEAN DEFENCE EXPENDITURE & INVESTMENTAt €214 billion, total defence expenditure corresponds to 1.5% of the 26 EDA Member States’ gross domestic product (GDP), the same as recorded in 2020. The 6% rise in spending compared to 2020, marks the strongest yearly growth rate since the rebound started in 2015 following the financial crisis. Compared to the historic low reached in 2014, defence expenditure has increased by almost €52 billion, or 32% in real terms.
EDA’s Defence Data report finds that the sustained increase in overall spending is also reflected in national numbers. In 2021, of the 18 Member States who increased spending, six raised it by 10% or more. The highest increases amounted to more than €4 billion by Italy in absolute terms and a 42%, 33% and 27%, increase in relative terms by Finland, Greece and Slovenia respectively. However, eight Member States reduced spending, with the largest national cut standing at 15% in relative terms.
EDA’s Defence Data report concludes that defence expenditure has globally resisted the economic impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Member States’ announcements following Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine signals that the increases in expenditure are likely to continue in the years ahead.
HR/VP and Head of the European Defence Agency Josep Borrell said: “European defence cooperation has come a long way. However, too little is spent in cooperation. As Member States increase their defence expenditure in defence, cooperation must now become the norm. We have built the cooperation frameworks to make this happen. Spending alone is not enough, we need to do it better, and that means doing it together. This is the only way to effectively equip European armed forces for the challenges ahead.”
REBOUND IN COLLABORATIVE EUROPEAN DEFENCE SPENDINGThe significant increase in defence spending has also translated into an appreciable rise in collaborative European spending, but still well below agreed collective benchmarks. In 2021, Member States allocated a record €7.9 billion to European collaborative defence equipment procurement projects, almost double the €4.1 billion recorded in 2020.
Spending on European collaborative defence equipment procurement in 2021 accounted for 18% of total defence equipment procurement, an increase on the 11% in 2020. A contributing factor is also the higher number of Member States who provided data in 2021 compared to 2020. The 35% European collaborative defence equipment procurement benchmark, which is also a commitment under the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), remains out of reach and will require almost doubling current investment in this area to reach the benchmark, which translates to €15.1 billion.
EUROPEAN DEFENCE SPENDING - 2021 KEY FINDINGSEDA’s report, based on data voluntarily provided by 26 Ministries of Defence, also finds that total defence expenditure represented 2.9% of total government expenditure. Additional findings include:
In 2021, defence Research and Technology (R&T) spending amounted to €3.6 billion, marking a massive 41% increase compared to 2020 and a new EDA recorded high. Compared to the historic low in spending reached in 2016, expenditure for defence R&T almost tripled. In 2021, over €1 billion extra was allocated, putting the 2% agreed benchmark within reach, but falling short at 1.7%. However, the trend is driven by Germany and France, which are responsible for more than 80% of the total defence R&T expenditure. As in 2020, they remain the only two Member States to reach the 2% benchmark.
In 2021, Member States spent €248 million on defence R&T projects in cooperation with other EU states, marking the first significant growth in this area since several years, totalling almost 70% compared to 2020. Nevertheless, expenditure lags compared to the high of €477 million recorded in 2008. Today, just 7% of total defence R&T expenditure is spent in cooperation, the second lowest recorded by EDA, and far from the 20% collective benchmark.
BACKGROUNDEDA collects defence data on an annual basis, and has done so since 2006, in line with the Agency’s Ministerial Steering Board Decision of November 2005. The Ministries of Defence of the Agency’s 26 Member States provide the data. EDA acts as the custodian of the data and publishes the aggregated figures in its booklets.
All data is collated (“total incorporates 26 EDA Member States”), and it has been rounded. Defence expenditure figures are provided in constant 2021 prices, to take inflation into account and allow for a comparison across years.
Notes for editors
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NEW ISSUE
"Investing in European defence. Today's promises, tomorrow's capabilities?"
The brand-new issue of European Defence Matters - the European Defence Agency's flagship magazine - is here! Read our digital magazine, as both a Webzine with a selection of articles, and the full PDF online.
With Russia's invasion of Ukraine underlining shortfalls in European defence after years of underinvestment, Edition 24 of European Defence Matters explores how EU Member States and industry are responding, and why defence cooperation has never been more important.
Including interviews with EDA Head Josep Borrell, Germany's Minister of Defence Christine Lambrecht and Rheinmetall's Chief Executive Armin Papperger, our European Defence Matters magazine looks at how EU defence spending is rising at a historic pace but could be wasted without European collaboration. We debate whether the next steps in EU defence cooperation reveal a coherent unity of vision that can provide a springboard to success.
Whether it is Germany's 'Zeitenwende', or the Czech EU presidency's progress on new EU defence initiatives, we hear from top officials and experts, look at the EU's annual defence review, and the Permanent Structured Cooperation five years on, as well as focusing on the latest EDA projects in drone safety.
In an exclusive interview for European Defence Matters, the head of the European Peace Facility talks about how the instrument has broken taboos and strengthened EU unity. We also look at how Ukraine's diplomatic operation is faring under the strain of war, and talk to three European companies innovating with help from the European Defence Fund.
Check out too our EU defence history timeline.
Enjoy the read!
Robin Emmott, editor-in-chief
More than 150 experts from 29 European countries, as well as different institutions and organisations participated in the fifth conference of the third phase of the Consultation Forum for Sustainable Energy in the Defence and Security Sector (CF SEDSS III) in Prague, reaffirming the Consultation Forum's status as the largest European defence energy community.
The European Defence Agency (EDA) organised the fifth CF SEDSS III conference from 30 November to 1 December 2022 under the auspices of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU). It was hosted by the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic. During the conference, the forum showed the way ahead to support the defence energy transition, ranging from behavioural change models to climate change proofing and energy resilience. The forum’s output also contributed to implementing broader EU actions, including the EU’s Climate Change and Defence Roadmap, Member States’ defence strategies for climate change adaptability, the EU’s offshore energy strategy, and the Action Plan on Military Mobility.
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".
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.
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:
Consultation forum explores hydrogen technologies for green defence (europa.eu)
1st Energy Technology Solutions conference and exhibition held (europa.eu)
Consultation Forum concludes first round of defence energy deliverables (europa.eu)
New Energy Consultation Forum project to promote low carbon military camps (europa.eu)
Energy Defence Consultation Forum gains momentum (europa.eu)
On the 18th of November, the Agency hosted the first EDA Symposium on Maritime Situational Awareness, focused on the key challenges and opportunities in this crucial domain. The symposium coincides with the upcoming launch of a new EDA programme dedicated to Maritime Situational Awareness. The one-day event provided a forum for exploration of new avenues of cooperation in this domain and was attended by over 80 officials from 18 EU Member States as well as EU institutions involved in maritime security and defence.
The event was opened by EDA Chief Executive, Jiří Šedivý and by Admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo, Chief of the Portuguese Navy. Underscoring the work already done by EDA on Maritime Situational Awareness, Mr Šedivý, said; “Building on what has been already achieved and starting from what you, the Member States, have asked us to support you on – the development of the MARSUR networking and technology – we believe that we should now go a step further. That’s why we propose the development of a programme for an overarching approach to situational awareness.”
In his opening address, Admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo, Chief of the Portuguese Navy, emphasised the importance of the maritime domain today for Europe, “more than 60% of European trade is made by sea, 99% of its digital traffic with other continents and areas are made through underwater cabling, about 55% of Crude oil, and almost 30% of natural gas, comes through European maritime borders, and these numbers will increase. To do Maritime Situational Awareness, we need to develop the capabilities to detect and sense the pattern of life at sea.”
Maritime security, and protection of critical maritime infrastructure is of crucial importance. The foundations of maritime security are based on the need to be able to maintain situational awareness of the maritime domain. With guidance provided by both the EU’s Strategic Compass and the EU Maritime Security Strategy to further develop capabilities and the need for deeper cooperation, Maritime Situational Awareness needs to be addressed in a more coherent manner to ensure consistency and efficiency.
The programme of the event covered the defence, civil and academic perspective, providing the audience of naval experts a forum to explore the need for a more effective approach to maritime surveillance. Both Operational Commanders from EUNAVFOR ATALANTA and EUNAVFORMED IRINI addressed the symposium from the defence perspective. In seeking to bring tangible capability solutions forward, EDA presented its proposal to launch a new programme on Maritime Situational Awareness.
New EDA Programme
EDA briefed participants on a new Category A programme will establish a forum for the synchronisation of capability developments activities within the military domain, seeking to provide a solid legal framework for cooperation in the development of full spectrum capabilities for Maritime Situational Awareness.
Primarily it will synchronise all capability development efforts in this area, supporting coherence of the defence landscape and cooperation among participating Member States, while contributing to effective use of resources. Secondly, it will set a framework for quick implementation of a broad spectrum of capability development, implementing projects with a common vision and based on agreed capability development priorities. In addition, the programme will reinforce the MARSUR technology, will establish clear rules for participation and interaction with third parties, and will support joint procurement of MSA related equipment.
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: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.
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 RECOMMENDATIONSThe CARD report offers Ministers of Defence key strategic and political messages, actionable recommendations and options to generate collaborative projects.
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 2023Defence 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 NORMThe 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 FOCUSTo 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