EDA News

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.

 

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.

The European Defence Agency (EDA) managed Incubation Forum for Circular Economy in European Defence (IF CEED) has unveiled a series of project ideas that have so far been incubated within the forum, namely; circularity of titanium for armour via additive manufacturing, prototype of defence digital product passport, implementation of a SCIP (Substances of Concern In complex Products) database for defence exemptions, and green knowledge platform for defence are among the key examples.

Circular economy is one of the building blocks of the European Green Deal, Europe’s agenda for sustainable growth. By acknowledging the need for armed forces to mitigate their carbon footprint, IF CEED aims at implementing circularity principles in European Defence via concrete transnational projects that, beyond environmental benefits, also bring further operational efficiency to the military.

EDA’s IF CEED 2nd General Conference (15-17 May 2023, Madrid, Spain), brought together 135 representatives from 20 European countries. Opening the event, EDA Director for Industry, Synergies and Enablers Emilio Fajardo, stressed both IF CEED’s contribution to the EU green transition and how circularity is an enabler for “our primary focus: the effectiveness and the operational efficiency of European defence capabilities”.

Transnational project incubation

Since October 2021, a network of several hundred experts has been working within nine thematic project incubators, called “Project Circles”, covering domains such as critical raw materials, additive manufacturing, green procurement, spare parts management and eco-design of defence capabilities.

Developed over the past 19 months, the collaborative and transnational project ideas incubated within IF CEED were presented to the audience. Their concepts address all nine areas and cover both technological and organisational aspects. Their ambition is to improve visibly the level of circularity in defence by e.g.: closing the loop of materials for green products, adopting new approaches for ecodesign, disseminating best practices for EMAS and green procurement, testing digital passports for circular management of products, elaborating on defence-specific GPP criteria, recycling/re-using/recovering high value fibers from soldier equipment.

Additionally, overarching cases have been identified, such as methodologies and tools for environmental evaluation in defence or the contribution of circularity to the European strategic autonomy: a transversal and cross-fertilising approach among the nine IF CEED Project Circles, liaising their respective experts and igniting synergies.

Way ahead: From incubation to implementation

Reflecting on the outcome of this IF CEED “Phase I”, the presentations during the conference illustrate the ongoing work translating the designed projects into actual products and initiatives.

Funding supporting the actual implementation of the project ideas so far incubated have been addressed by the European Commission’s Directorate-Generals for Environment (as to the European Union’s LIFE programme) and for Defence Industry and Space (as to the European Defence Fund).

Background

With the intervention of the Ministry of Defence of the Kingdom of Spain and the collaboration of FEINDEF (International Defence and Security Exhibition), IF CEED Conference welcomed representatives from Ministries of Defence, industry, research-and-technology organisations, universities, together with key European players, as the European Commission, the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) with the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP), the European External Action Service (EEAS), the Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD) with its Task Force Green Defence.

The concluding plenaries of the IF CEED 2nd Conference have been integrated into the official programme of the opening day of the FEINDEF Foundation’s International Defence and Security Exhibition 2023, attended by over 450 exhibitors from 20 countries and 100 foreign delegations.

FEINDEF is a reference event that encompasses the defence and security sector, to innovate, cooperate internationally and share knowledge among companies and institutions. The hosting by FEINDEF of the final stock-taking sessions of the IF CEED Conference has represented a reciprocal acknowledgement of the respective relevance of the two endeavors and highly increased the visibility of Circular Economy in European Defence.

What is IF CEED?

The Incubation Forum for Circular Economy in European Defence (IF CEED) gathers experts from 29 countries in Europe to exploit circularity principles for the defence sector by incubating concrete and transnational project ideas. Co-funded by the EU LIFE programme and the Directorate of Defence of Luxembourg’s Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, IF CEED is a programme managed by the European Defence Agency (EDA).

EDA’s activities in “Green Defence”

• REACH Task Force
• CapTech Energy and Environment
• Consultation Forum Sustainable Energy
• Symbiosis - Offshore Renewable Energy for Defence
• IF CEED
• ESG-Network
• Green Procurement
• Contact
• circular.economy@eda.europa.eu

 

With the unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine, 2022 has marked not only the return of all-out war to European soil but also a paradigm shift for security and defence in Europe. Member States have reacted with determination and resolve, providing significant support to the Ukrainian armed forces. Given the urgency of the situation, the European Defence Agency (EDA) has stepped up its support to our EU governments as they debate the way forward for European defence.

A visible sign of this paradigm shift is the increase in defence spending by the Member States. However, the conflict has highlighted gaps and potential future shortfalls in inventories and armed forces. EDA, in 2022, directed its energies to respond to these issues and help coordinate a joint response.

2002 Annual Report

The 2022 annual report provides an overview of EDA’s milestones and achievements over the past year. From deepening our work on the EU defence initiatives, assisting in the setting up of the Defence Joint Procurement Task Force, to launching a Hub for EU Defence Innovation (HEDI) and managing military projects and exercises across all domains.

Overall, in 2022 the Agency managed 97 cooperative ad hoc projects and programmes in capability development, training, joint procurement, as well as Research and Technology (R&T) and innovation, with a total estimated value of €672 million.

Delivering through cooperation

Among EDA's accomplishments was the completion of the ‘Safe Autonomous Flight Termination’ (SAFETERM) project in June 2022 with a successful flight campaign in a live operational environment. SAFETERM aims to develop a proof of concept of autonomous functionality to ensure a predictable yet adaptative Remotely Piloted Aircraft behaviour in case of emergency involving multiple failures.

In November 2022, Ministers of Defence signed the new EDA project for the ‘Military Computer Emergency Response Team Operational Network’ (MICNET). Known as milCERTs, this operational network is a substantial step towards enhancing cooperation in the cyber domain at the EU level.

With the European Green Deal, the EU aims to become climate neutral by 2050. To meet this goal and reduce the carbon footprint of armed forces, the EDA developed the Incubation Forum for Circular Economy in European Defence (IF CEED). The Forum is a place to discuss how the defence sector can mitigate its environmental footprint by applying and promoting the principles of a more circular economy in European defence.

From personnel recovery to Counter-IED and deepening our work on emerging disruptive technologies, EDA’s 171 staff have worked across departments and domains to support European defence cooperation.  

• Download the full report here 

Critical maritime infrastructure is fundamental to the security and economic stability of the European Union. With the majority of global trade and commerce taking place via sea routes, any disruption to maritime infrastructure can have severe consequences. From underwater infrastructures attacks - such as pipelines and undersea cables - to illicit activities like terrorism, piracy, human trafficking and environmental disasters, the risks and actors involved are multiple. To effectively address the multitude of risks facing critical maritime infrastructure, EDA hosted its first ‘Critical Maritime Infrastructure Protection’ symposium on April 27 in Brussels. The seminar gathered 170 experts who discussed critical maritime infrastructure protection, from threats and vulnerabilities to military capability and governance viewpoints. 

The event was opened by EDA Deputy Chief Executive, André Denk, who underscored the importance of cooperation in addressing maritime challenges and strengthening EU maritime infrastructure. “Without integrating new technologies in defence systems; without increasing resilience, EU maritime infrastructure will continue to be vulnerable”, he said. 

Professor Christian Bueger outlined to the audience that there are six key problems in critical maritime infrastructure protection (CMIP); defence; diplomacy; maritime safety; maritime security; cyber and strategic autonomy, which each requiring dedicated solutions. In her keynote speech, Isabelle Ryckbost, Secretary General of the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO), highlighted how ports have become crucial energy hubs, with 40% of commodities energy sources growing with offshore and that “to protect ports, we must keep a balance between the free flow of goods and security," she said.  

Panel discussions: How to protect critical maritime infrastructure?  

Throughout the day, three successive panel discussions were held, with the first focusing on how maritime infrastructure are vulnerable to a multitude of threats, including state-actors, terrorism, piracy, natural disasters, and cyber-attacks. One of the key points made in the panel was that current threats and vulnerabilities of critical maritime infrastructures are a combination of issues stemming from the past, present and future; especially with rising threats from hybrid actors. 

The second panel focused on how, given the multitude of maritime infrastructure protection configuration mixes including public, private and military actors, can governance of critical maritime infrastructure be improved. One of the main risks identified by the panel was that European CMIP governance remains siloed between multiple maritime security actors. There was also agreement that CMIP needs to be integrated within wider maritime security policies, and a strategic focus on deterrence and prevention of threats to CMIP is needed across the EU.

The final panel discussed the military capabilities in use and under development that are required for effective CMIP. Two capabilities under development were highlighted for their potential impact in this domain; the EU funded MIRICLE project, focusing on the development of the next generation of European maritime mine countermeasures capabilities and an Italian proposal for a multinational critical seabed infrastructure protection project. Speaking on the panel, Stefano Cont, EDA Capability & Armament Director, identified EDA’s role in supporting a capability-driven approach towards technological innovation and standardisation and simplification of the civil-military procedures for maritime infrastructure and sea lines of communication. 

Next Steps

These threats underscore the need for deeper cooperation between Member States and civilian and military sectors to establish adequate measures and a coherent legislative approach to enhance the resilience of critical maritime infrastructures since maritime infrastructure crosses seas and territories

To address the challenges for maritime infrastructure protection, the symposium concluded the need for a comprehensive and integrated approach regarding threats, a joint view on underwater warfare concerning European military capabilities and the creation of pooling of maritime technology. 

The outcomes from the symposium will feed into a study commissioned by EDA on critical maritime infrastructure protection which will be published later this year.  

Background 

Panel 1: Cdr Georgios GIANNOULIS, Deputy Director of Community of Interest Vulnerabilities and Resilience at Hybrid CoE, Capt. Miguel CUARTERO LORENZO (Head of Strategic Plans Section, Spanish Navy), Cdr Michel PERTHUISOT (EEAS), Cdr João PIEDADE (Head of Innovation and Transformation, Portuguese Navy), Carl WREDE (Deputy Director DLR Institute for the Protection of Maritime Infrastructures). 

Panel 2: Dr Brendan FLYNN (National University of Ireland), Augusto FRAGOSO (Portuguese Autoridade Nacional de Comunicações), Cdr Philip von Eberhardt (CoE CSW), Christos THEOPHILOU (DG MARE), Stephen DAWE (Chairman, European Subsea Cables Association). 

Panel 3:  Stefano CONT (EDA CAP Director), Géraldine DUPIN (European Programs Director, Naval Group Belgium – MIRICLE Consortium), Capt. Hans HUYGENS, EUMS Capt. Andrea QUONDAMATTEO (Italian Navy), Nils STORKERSEN (Director of FFI). 

Around 80 experts from European ministries of defence, EU bodies, industry and academia met on 26-27 April in Crete, Greece for the second thematic workshop of the Consultation Forum for Sustainable Energy in the Defence and Security Sector (CF SEDSS)  to discuss how to reduce the carbon emissions of defence installations. 

CF SEDSS is part of the Agency’s efforts to help Member States and the defence sector contribute to the energy transition and develop more sustainable policies. 

Organised by the European Defence Agency (EDA) and hosted by the Hellenic Ministry of National Defence, the two-day workshop in Chania brought together experts of the CF SEDSS Working Group 1 on Energy Efficiency and Buildings Performance and Working Group 2 on Renewable Energy Sources.  

The objective was to examine the potential of renewable energy sources and building performance improvements to reduce energy consumption, carbon emissions and fossil fuel dependency. Ultimately, this should increase the defece sector’s energy efficiency and resilience. The workshop also explored how defence sector of measures - such as integration of renewable energy sources elements into structures, energy storage, nearly zero-emission buildings, smarts grids and the islanding of military installations – can contribute. 

The CF SEDSS workshop included a site visit to 115 Combat Wing Airport at Souda Bay, where a project to create a net zero carbon emissions facility has been underway since 2021. Participants visited the photovoltaic park, the energy distributing hub and other areas of interest, which helped stimulate technical discussions that followed.  

 

Beyond the national level

In his welcome speech, Col. Ilias Manolis, Head of Infrastructure and Environmental Protection Department, Hellenic Ministry of Defence (HMoD), shared his perspectives. Greece’s initiatives are based on the 2020 second revision of the HMoD’s Policy for Environmental Protection/Energy Management and Adaptation of the Armed Forces to Climate Change Impacts as well as the roadmap facilitating its implementation.  

Col. Manolis also underlined the framework for developing suitable project ideas and specifically mentioned the HMoD’s intention “to explore all possibilities so that this pilot endeavour can be further exploited and implemented, not only at a national, but also at the EU level.” 

Mr Panagiotis Kikiras, EDA Head of Unit Technology and Innovation, highlighted that the 115 Combat Wing Airport project was “one of the very first projects among the EU armed forces aiming to render military installations net zero emissions and carbon neutral using renewable energy and smart distribution.”  

Mr Kikiras also said: “Examples such as these show us that the defence is making great strides towards greener, more energy efficient and resilient defence, while contributing to the overall EU climate targets. There is still a lot of work to do, but we hope that this workshop will provide some guidance on how to decarbonise defence installations more quickly and efficiently.”  

He concluded by inviting ministries of defence to “join forces to come up with ways to ensure that military buildings and installations are healthier, greener and more resilient to extreme weather events.” 

 

EDA’s wider role 

EDA supports all EU 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 spanning 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 

More information: 

• CF SEDSS website 

• Podcast (europa.eu) 

• Green defence - How is the EDA contributing to the energy transition and circular models in defence (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) 

• Consultation Forum concludes first round of defence energy deliverables (europa.eu) 

• 1st Energy Technology Solutions conference and exhibition held (europa.eu) 

Brussels, 26 April 2023. Today, the European Defence Agency (EDA) and the Department of Defense of the United States of America (DoD) have formalised a framework for cooperation through the signing of an Administrative Arrangement (AA). The EDA-DoD AA provides for stronger transatlantic cooperation in defence in specific areas, including in the exchange of information.

The conclusion of this AA is a strong political signal, delivering on the tasking of EU and U.S. leaders in the June 2021 EU-US Summit Statement. The arrangement confirms the value of a transatlantic partnership in security and defense to confront shared security challenges, and the importance of a stronger and more capable European defence that is complementary to and interoperable with NATO.

Head of the Agency, High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell, said: “At a time when war has returned to Europe, we need to open every avenue for cooperation with our closest partners. The EDA-U.S. Administrative Arrangement provides another pillar to strengthen transatlantic cooperation and the link between the EU and the U.S. The European Defence Agency, as the hub for EU defence cooperation, plays a unique role in raising our level of defence cooperation and contributing to make the EU a stronger defence actor and partner.”

United States Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin said: “The signature of the Administrative Arrangement with EDA is evidence of the strengthening U.S.-European Union relationship.  DoD and EDA’s dedicated dialogue and engagement will further contribute to transatlantic and global security.  Russia’s aggression against Ukraine underlines the importance of strong U.S.-European ties in NATO and with the European Union. Deepening dialogue and cooperation will only strengthen this key strategic partnership moving forward.”

Scope, collaboration and exchange: Progressive development of the AA

The two parties have reached an understanding on an initial scope of cooperation, which may, upon mutual consent, progressively develop in the future.

• Forum of exchange and dialogue: The AA will enable a substantial defence dialogue on all topics within EDA’s remit, and invitations for U.S. DoD to attend relevant meetings of EDA’s Steering Board and for EDA to attend meetings convened by the U.S. DoD, as appropriate.
• Activities of cooperation: Initial activities include consultations on the impact of EU Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation; military mobility; supply chain issues; and the impact of climate change on defence. It also allows for U.S. participation in the open session of the European Defence Standardisation Committee.

The AA was signed today in Brussels by Jiři Šedivý, EDA Chief Executive, and Dr. William LaPlante, United States Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment.

Further Information 

• Signed text of EDA -U.S. DoD AA
• Questions and Answers on Administrative Arrangement 
• Photos from signing ceremony - Photos can be used with reference to © European Defence Agency 
• Website EDA – European Defence Agency
• Website U.S. Department of Defense - Releases (defense.gov)

A project managed by the European Defence Agency (EDA), which aims to create a basis for a future European interoperability standard for military unmanned systems, has taken a step forward with the successful conclusion of a table-top exercise. The INTERACT (Interoperability Standards for Armed Forces Unmanned Systems) project demonstration was held over two days at the Swedish defence research centre, Totalförsvarets Forskningsinstitut (FOI). The table-top exercise marked a milestone for the project by linking the operational aspects demonstrated by simulation to the standards to be used in the frame of the NATO Architecture Framework V4.

INTERACT

The interoperability standard that is under development within INTERACT will allow unmanned assets to be deployed in flexible and varied configurations such as singular deployment, manned and unmanned teaming, hand over or autonomous swarm, and independent of organisational or national provenance. An enhanced level of interoperability will greatly increase responsiveness and flexibility and hence the warfighting capability of European armed forces.

Handover in all senses  

During the tabletop demonstration, a small simulation session with live players was used to demonstrate the operational upgrade stemming from key interoperability aspects such as the handover of unmanned systems from one control station to another, even when belonging to another entity or allied nation.

In testing the execution of a handover, the tool used (Enterprise Architect from Sparx-EA) has proven invaluable for each operational phase. This has shown the best standards to use and the missing standards to develop. These results will be highlighted in the roadmap the project is producing to fully develop a European standard for interoperable unmanned systems.

While the full development of a new standard was out of the scope of this study, this roadmap is the first step to validate a complete standard in this area. This demonstration has validated the key elements of this first step, allowing for follow-on studies.

INTERACT background

INTERACT received 1.5 million euros for a two-year study from the PADR (Preparatory Action for Defence Research)  in its  2019 call for projects. PADR is managed by the European Defence Agency, a role delegated by the European Commission.

Sweden’s FOI, the Netherlands’ Organisatie Voor Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek and Greece’s Institute of Communication and Computer Systems are the main beneficiaries of this project under the coordination of Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute of Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation. They are aided by the main European manufacturers of unmanned systems in the domains of air, land and sea, along with leading organisations.

The multinational fleet of Airbus A330 tanker and transport aircraft, which was developed with support from the European Defence Agency (EDA), has been cleared for operations worldwide. First proposed at a NATO summit in 2012, the initiative for a Multinational Multi Role Tanker Transport Fleet (MMF) was established by EDA along with the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation and the NATO Support and Procurement Agency.

Now with six participating countries, the fleet performs air-to-air refueling of fighter jets, can carry out medical evacuations and also transport cargo and passengers. MMF reached Initial Operational Capability on March 23 in a ceremony attended by EDA Chief Executive Jiří Šedivý and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, as well as the ministers and senior officials of the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, Norway, Germany, Czechia and the European Commission.

Preparing for take-off: EDA’s role

EDA’s role in getting the project off the ground was crucial, by bringing together contributing Member States, motivating countries to join and negotiating the aircraft acquisition options.

To initiate MMF, EDA set up a project team to work on the harmonisation of requirements towards a future tanker capability. It helped craft the legal framework to establish the programme and smooth the way for the organisational and industrial partners that were to join. 

The Netherlands, where the NATO-owned aircraft are registered, serves as the fleet’s base. Aircraft are also stationed in Cologne, Germany. The Netherlands and Luxembourg launched the programme in July 2016. Germany and Norway joined in 2017. Belgium followed in early 2018 and Czechia joined the MMF programme in October 2019.

Seven aircraft from the fleet are in service. Two more are expected to join in 2024, with the tenth aircraft scheduled for delivery at the end of 2026. 

Flying high

At present, the fleet has already provided six million liters – or about twice the volume of an olympic-size swimming pool - of fuel to NATO allies. MMF aircraft were the first tankers to deploy over Poland in support of NATO air policing following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In total, the fleet has flown more than 500 missions, as well as supported the evacuation of civilians from Afghanistan and deployed for exercises with NATO partners such as Australia. Later this year, MMF aircraft will fly to the Middle East to support operations against ISIS.

EDA’s wider role 

EDA supports all EU 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 spanning 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 

Bruxelles, den 23. marts 2023. I dag bliver Danmark den 27. medlemsstat i Det Europæiske Forsvarsagentur (EDA). Agenturets leder, Josep Borrell, modtog en officiel meddelelse fra fungerende forsvarsminister Troels Lund Poulsen om, at Danmark vil tilslutte sig EDA, der blev oprettet i 2004 for at støtte det europæiske forsvarssamarbejde. Beslutningen er resultatet af Danmarks historiske folkeafstemning om ophævelse af forsvarsforbeholdet i juni 2022 og følger efter afslutningen af behandlingen i Folketinget. Med Danmarks deltagelse er medlemmerne af EDA nu udvidet til at omfatte alle EU's medlemsstater.

Danmarks deltagelse i EDA er en kraftig styrkelse af det europæiske forsvarssamarbejde og giver Danmark mulighed for at deltage fuldt ud i alle agenturets projekter, aktiviteter og arbejdsgrupper.

"Vi bygger et stærkere, mere modstandsdygtigt europæisk forsvar. Danmarks medlemskab af Det Europæiske Forsvarsagentur er endnu et skridt på vejen mod et tættere forsvarssamarbejde. I juni sidste år sendte det danske folk et stærkt signal om deres engagement i europæisk sikkerhed og forsvar. Fordelene ved denne beslutning er klare. Som chef for agenturet byder jeg Danmark hjerteligt velkommen til EDA, især i en tid, hvor EU åbner nye veje for forsvarssamarbejde med fælles indkøb af ammunition, kapacitetsudvikling og innovation for fremtiden,” siger EU’s Udenrigsrepræsentant og Chef for Forsvarsagenturet Josep Borell.

”Den internationale orden er under opbrud, og demokratiske værdier er under pres. Ukraine har fortsat brug for massiv støtte fra allierede, herunder ammunition, for at kunne modstå de russiske aggressioner. En del af ammunitionen skal skaffes gennem koordination af indkøb og øget produktion i EU. Det er rigtig positivt, at vi kan være med i disse vigtige initiativer fra dansk side,” siger fungerende forsvarsminister Troels Lund Poulsen.

Jiří Šedivý , EDA's administrerende direktør, udtaler: "I dag bliver Det Europæiske Forsvarsagentur en helhed. Det glæder mig at byde Danmark velkommen som medlem af EDA efter folkeafstemningen og folketingsbeslutningen. På et tidspunkt, hvor krigen er vendt tilbage til Europa, er samarbejdet på forsvarsområdet vigtigere end nogensinde. Danmark kan nu drage fordel af EDA's ekspertise og deltage i projekter og programmer for at fremme sine ambitioner på forsvarsområdet."

VELKOMMEN TIL DET EUROPÆISKE FORSVARSAGENTUR

• Samarbejde à la carte – Danmark og alle de andre medlemsstater kan selv hver især beslutte, hvilke af EDA's igangværende 100 projekter og programmer, de ønsker at deltage i.
• Arbejde hos EDA – Danske statsborgere kan søge aktuelle eller fremtidige ledige stillinger hos EDA. Praktikantprogrammet for 2023 åbner for ansøgninger i april og vil også være åbent for nyuddannede med dansk statsborgerskab.
• Danmark i EDA – Det næste forsvarsministermøde i EDA's styringskomité vil finde sted i maj i Bruxelles, og for første gang deltager 27 forsvarsministre. Repræsentanter fra Forsvarsministeriet vil fra nu af deltage i alle EDA's møder og fora.
• Muligheder for industrien – Dansk industri vil have mulighed for at deltage i EDA's forskningsaktiviteter inden for forsvarsområdet, innovationsknudepunktet på forsvarsområdet (HEDI) og de generelle aktiviteter med inddragelse af industrien.

EDA'S ROLLE I BREDERE FORSTAND

EDA hjælper medlemsstaterne med at forbedre deres forsvarskapacitet gennem samarbejde. Forsvarsagenturet fungerer som katalysator og formidler for forsvarsministerier, der er villige til at deltage i samarbejdsbaserede kapacitetsprojekter. Agenturet er dermed blevet knudepunktet for det europæiske forsvarssamarbejde med ekspertise og netværk, der omfatter hele spektret af forsvarskapaciteter.

Medlemsstaterne anvender EDA som en mellemstatslig ekspertplatform, hvor deres samarbejdsprojekter understøttes, faciliteres og gennemføres. Få mere information her

Noter til redaktører

1. EDA-faktablad på dansk, engelsk og andre sprog.
2. Det Europæiske Forsvarsagentur (EDA), knudepunktet for det europæiske forsvarssamarbejde:
   1. EDA blev oprettet i 2004 for at støtte og fremme forsvarssamarbejdet i Europa og er blevet det sted, hvor lande, der ønsker at udvikle deres forsvarskapaciteter, kan gøre det i fællesskab.
   2. EDA's ekspertise og aktiviteter omfatter hele spektret af samarbejde: fra harmonisering af krav til levering af operationel kapacitet, fra forskning, teknologi og innovation til udvikling af teknologidemonstratorer, fra uddannelse og øvelser til støtte af FSFP-operationer.
   3. EDA arbejder også tæt sammen med den europæiske forsvarsindustri for at styrke det europæiske forsvars teknologiske og industrielle grundlag og bidrage til at gøre industrien stærkere og mere konkurrencedygtig.
   4. Agenturets rolle og betydning er vokset konstant, navnlig med gennemførelsen af EU's globale strategi (2016), som også førte til, at medlemsstaterne udvidede agenturets mandat i 2017.
3. Følg #EUdefence på de sociale medier, og besøg vores websted www.eda.europa.eu.

 

Today Denmark becomes the 27th member state of the European Defence Agency (EDA). Head of the Agency, Josep Borrell, received an official notification from acting Minister of Defence, Troels Lund Poulsen, that Denmark will join EDA, which was set up in 2004 to support European defence cooperation. Following the conclusion of a Danish parliamentary process, the decision is the result of Denmark’s historic national referendum to lift its opt-out on European defence in June 2022. Danish participation in EDA broadens membership of the Agency to all EU Member States.

Denmark joining EDA is a strong boost for European defence cooperation and allows full Danish participation in all Agency projects, activities and working groups.

Head of the Agency, HR/VP, Josep Borrell said: “We are building a stronger, more capable European defence. Today, Denmark’s membership of the European Defence Agency is another step on the path to closer defence collaboration. Last June, the Danish people sent a strong message of their commitment to European security and defence. The benefits of that decision are clear. As Head of the Agency, I warmly welcome Denmark to EDA, especially at a time when the EU is opening new avenues for defence cooperation, with the joint procurement of ammunition, capability development and innovation for the future.”

Denmark’s acting Minister of Defence, Troels Lund Poulsen, said: “Europe must take greater responsibility for our own security and Denmark must participate fully in the cooperation. We are now a step closer with our membership of the European Defence Agency. The Defence Agency plays a special role in supporting the member states' cooperation and we look forward to contributing to this. The international order is changing rapidly and democratic values are under pressure. Ukraine continues to need massive support from allies, including ammunition, to resist Russian aggression.”

EDA Chief Executive, Jiří Šedivý said: “Today, the European Defence Agency becomes whole. I am delighted to welcome Denmark as a Member State of EDA following its referendum and parliamentary decision. At a time when war has returned to Europe, defence cooperation matters more than ever. Denmark can now benefit from EDA’s expertise and join projects and programmes to further its defence ambitions.”

WELCOME TO THE EUROPEAN DEFENCE AGENCY

• Cooperation à la carte – Denmark, like each Member State, can decide which of EDA’s ongoing 100 projects and programmes they wish to participate in.
• Work at EDA – Danish nationals can now apply for open and future positions at EDA. The Traineeship 2023 programme which will open for applications in April will also be open to recent graduates of Danish nationality.
• Denmark at EDA – The next EDA Steering Board of Defence Ministers will take place in May in Brussels, which will take place for the first time with 27 Defence Ministers. Representatives from its Ministry of Defence will now participate in all EDA meetings and fora.
• Industry avenues – Danish industry will have the possibility to take part in EDA’s defence research activities, its Hub for Defence Innovation (HEDI) and its overall industry engagement related activities.

EDA’S WIDER ROLE

EDA supports all EU 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 spanning 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

Brussels, 20 March 2023. Eighteen states sign on Monday the European Defence Agency (EDA) project arrangement for the collaborative procurement of ammunition to aid Ukraine and replenish Member States’ national stockpiles. The project opens the way for EU Member States and Norway to proceed along two paths: a two-year, fast-track procedure for 155mm artillery rounds and a seven-year project to acquire multiple ammunition types. Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden and Norway have signed. More Member States have already expressed their intent to join the initiative soon following national procedures.

The ‘Collaborative Procurement of Ammunition’ project was set up in record time by EDA to answer the call to procure ammunition collectively and more quickly by aggregating, coordinating, and agreeing contracts with the European defence industry. EDA’s project provides a solid framework for Member States’ intention to jointly procure urgently needed ammunition for Ukraine. This project sends a clear message to industry and strengthens the EU’s support for Ukraine following Russia’s war of aggression.

Common procurement is the best option to achieve cost reduction from economies of scale, while allowing Member States to purchase ammunition according to their national needs and supporting Ukraine. The arrangement, which is flexible and inclusive in nature, allows all remaining EDA Member States to join the initiative at a later stage.

Head of the Agency, HRVP, Josep Borrell said: “Today, we take a step forward. We are delivering on our promises to provide Ukraine with more artillery ammunition. With today’s signature, 18 countries have signed up to aggregate orders and place them together with the industry through the European Defence Agency. The Ukrainian authorities have been clear about their needs and this EDA project is part of the EU response. By procuring together through the EDA framework and mobilising financial support from the European Peace Facility, we will deliver to Ukraine more and faster. We are again breaking a taboo and unlocking the potential of EU cooperation in joint procurement.”

FAST TRACK PROCEDURE FOR 155mm ARTILLERY ROUNDS

In the run-up to the informal meeting of the Ministers of Defence Council, which took place in Stockholm on 7 and 8 March, Head of Agency Borrell set out three complementary tracks to deliver more artillery ammunition and to deliver it more quickly: first to help Member States in sending such ammunition from national stockpiles or from pending orders; second to aggregate demand and quickly move to 155mm collaborative procurement; and third to ramp up the manufacturing capacity of the European defence industry.

EDA’s project sets out a path to meet the second track, providing a fast-track procedure, allowing for the tendering process to be simplified and contracts put into place at short notice. Member States can be reimbursed via the European Peace Facility (EPF), the EU’s off-budget instrument in support of the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP).

SEVEN YEAR PROJECT ARRANGEMENT FOR MULTIPLE AMMUNITION TYPES AND CALIBRES

EDA has been working since November 2022 on three areas for common procurement: ammunition, soldier systems and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) equipment, based on the work of the Joint Defence Task Force with Member States to identify their most critical shortfalls.

The ‘Collaborative Procurement of Ammunition’ project provides a seven-year framework for Member States to commonly procure multiple types and calibres of ammunition (5.56 mm to 155 mm) to replenish national stocks.

EDA Chief Executive Jiří Šedivý said: “This is a significant moment in the EU’s support for Ukraine, European defence cooperation and the EDA. The availability of ammunition, as well as the associated stockpiles, are a critical shortfall which affects the readiness of Member States' armed forces and their ability to fulfil their missions while, at the same time, supporting Ukraine. EDA has created a flexible and open project which allows all Member States to join should they choose and I expect additional countries to come on board within the week. Today we have a framework for delivery – it’s now up to Member States to make use of it and for industry to be able to respond”.  

EDA’S WIDER ROLE

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  spanning 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.

Today, the Commission and the High Representative present for the first time a Joint Communication on a European Space Strategy for Security and Defence.

Space systems and services in the European Union are crucial for the functioning of our society and economy, as well as for security and defence. As such, the EU has identified space as a strategic domain. In the current geopolitical context of increasing power competition and intensification of threats, the EU is taking action to protect its space assets, defend its interests, deter hostile activities in space and strengthen its strategic posture and autonomy.

The Strategy is a direct implementation of the EU Strategic Compass adopted less than a year ago and which defined space, together with cyber and maritime, as contested strategic domains, the security of which must be ensured. It provides for a set of actions covering the following strands.

Shared understanding of space threats

The Strategy outlines the counterspace capabilities and main threats in space that put at risk space systems and their ground infrastructure, building on a common definition of the space domain. To increase the common understanding of threats across Member States, the High Representative will prepare a classified annual space threat landscape analysis at EU level, drawing on Member States´ intelligence.

Resilience and protection of space systems and services in the EU

The Strategy proposes actions to strengthen the resilience and protection of space systems and services in the EU. For this purpose, the Commission will:

• Consider proposing an EU Space Law to provide a common framework for security, safety, and sustainability in Space, that would ensure a consistent and EU-wide approach.
• Set up an Information Sharing and Analysis Centre (ISAC) to raise awareness and facilitate exchange of best practices among commercial and relevant public entities on resilience measures for space capabilities.
• Launch preparatory work to ensure long-term EU autonomous access to space, addressing in particular the security and defence needs.
• Enhance the technological sovereignty of the EU by reducing strategic dependencies and ensuring security of supply for space and defence, in close coordination with the European Defence Agency and the European Space Agency.

Responding to space threats

The strategy outlines concrete measures to mobilise relevant EU tools to respond to space threats, including to:

• Expand the existing space threat response mechanism, which is currently used for the protection of Galileo to all space systems and services in the EU.
• Better detect and identify space objects via access to space domain awareness information through relevant national space commands, to characterise inappropriate behaviours in orbit and protect EU assets.
• Carry out space exercises, including with partners, to test and develop further the EU's response to space threats and explore solidarity mechanisms.

Use of space for security and defence

The Strategy proposes to maximise the use of space for security and defence purposes. The development of dual-use services requires to take into account defence requirements when preparing the evolution of the EU space programmes. The Strategy proposes to:

• Launch two pilot projects one to test the delivery of initial space domain awareness services building upon capacities of Member States, and a second one to test a new earth observation governmental service as part of the evolution of Copernicus.
• Better connect space, defence and security at EU level and ensure synergies and cross-fertilisation, notably in terms of research and development.
• Propose concrete measures to foster collaborative work between space and defence start-ups
• Enhance skills related to the development of space services for security and defence.

Partnering for responsible behaviours in space

The EU will strengthen its engagement in multilateral fora and promote norms, rules, and principles of responsible behaviours in outer space through concrete and pragmatic steps. The Strategy will deepen existing space security cooperation, in particular with the United States, and expand exchanges with other partners, including  NATO, as well as other like-minded countries.

Next Steps

The Commission and the High Representative will soon present to Member States initial steps for the way forward in implementing the strategy. The Commission and the High Representative will report to the Council on a yearly basis on the progress achieved and potential further actions.

Background                                                                             

Last year, EU leaders identified space as a strategic domain in the Strategic Compass and called for an EU Space Strategy for Security and Defence.

More Information

• Joint Communication on an EU Space Strategy for Security and Defence
• Questions and Answers
• Defence industry and space website  

Today, the European Commission and the High Representative adopted a Joint Communication on an enhanced EU Maritime Security Strategy to ensure a peaceful use of the seas and safeguard the maritime domain against new threats. They have also adopted an updated Action Plan through which the Strategy will be implemented.

Maritime security is vital to the European Union and its Member States. Together, the EU's Member States form the largest combined exclusive economic zone in the world. The EU economy depends greatly on a safe and secure ocean. Over 80% of global trade is seaborne and about two-thirds of the world's oil and gas is either extracted at sea or transported by sea. Up to 99% of global data flows are transmitted through undersea cables. The global maritime domain must be secure to unlock the full potential of the oceans and the sustainable blue economy. The EU intends to reinforce the wide range of tools it has at its disposal to promote maritime security, both civilian and military.

Adapting to new threats

Security threats and challenges have multiplied since the adoption of the EU Maritime Security Strategy in 2014, requiring new and enhanced action. Long-standing illicit activities, such as piracy, armed robbery at sea, smuggling of migrants and trafficking of human beings, arms and narcotics, as well as terrorism remain critical challenges. But new and evolving threats must also be dealt with increasing geopolitical competition, climate change and degradation of the marine environment and hybrid and cyber-attacks.

This is an opportunity to drive forward sustainable solutions to the multiple maritime security issues the EU and the international community face. It is also an opportunity to enhance the EU's role and credibility in the international arena. Recent geopolitical developments, such as Russia's military aggression against Ukraine, are a forceful reminder that the EU needs to enhance its security and step up its capacity to act not only on its own territory and its own waters, but also in its neighbourhood and beyond.

An updated European Maritime Security Strategy (EUMSS)

The updated EUMSS is a framework for the EU to take action to protect its interests at sea, and to protect its citizens, values and economy.

The updated Maritime Security Strategy promotes international peace and security, as well as respect for international rules and principles, while ensuring the sustainability of the oceans and the protection of biodiversity. The Strategy will be implemented by the EU and its Member States, in line with their respective competences.

The Joint Communication and associated Action Plan specify several integrated actions that will deliver on the EU's interests. To do so, the EU will step up its action under six strategic objectives:

• Step up activities at sea. Actions include organising naval exercises at EU level, developing further coastguard operations in European sea basins, designating new maritime areas of interests for the implementation of the Coordinated Maritime Presences concept (a tool to enhance coordination of Member States' naval and air assets present in specific maritime areas) and reinforcing security inspections in EU ports.
• Cooperate with partners. Actions include deepening EU-NATO cooperation and stepping up cooperation with all relevant international partners to uphold the rules-based order at sea, notably the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

• Lead on maritime domain awareness. Actions include reinforcing coastal and offshore patrol vessel surveillance and strengthening the Common information sharing environment (CISE). This is to make sure the national and EU authorities involved can exchange information in a secure way.

• Manage risks and threats. Actions include conducting regular live maritime exercises involving civilian and military actors, monitoring and protecting critical maritime infrastructure and ships (including passenger ships) from physical and cyber threats, and tackling unexploded ordnance and mines at sea.
• Boost capabilities. Actions include developing common requirements for defence technologies in the maritime domain, stepping up work on projects such as the European Patrol Corvette (new class of warship), and improving our anti-submarine capabilities.
• Educate and train by boosting hybrid and cyber security qualifications notably on the civilian side and conducting training programmes open to non-EU partners.

The updated Strategy and its action plan will contribute to the implementation the EU Strategic Compass for Security and Defence.

Next steps

The Commission and the High Representative invite the Member States to endorse the Strategy and to implement it for their part. The Commission and the High Representative will issue a progress report within three years after the endorsement of the updated Strategy by the Council of the European Union.

Background

The EU Maritime Security Strategy and its Action Plan are in place since 2014. The Action Plan was last updated in 2018. The proposed update follows up on the Council Conclusions on maritime security of June 2021, which called on the Commission and the High Representative to assess the need for such update.

Since 2014, the EUMSS and its Action Plan have provided a comprehensive framework to deter and respond to security challenges at sea. They have stimulated closer cooperation between civilian and military authorities, in particular through information exchange. The EUMSS has helped promote rules-based governance at sea and to develop international cooperation in the maritime domain. It has strengthened the EU's autonomy and capacity to respond to maritime security threats and challenges. The EU has become a recognised actor in maritime security, conducting its own naval operations, enhancing maritime domain awareness and cooperating with a wide range of external partners.

More Information

• Factsheet on the updated EU Maritime Security Strategy
• Joint Communication on an enhanced EU Maritime Security Strategy 
• Action Plan ‘An enhanced EU Maritime Security Strategy for evolving maritime threats'
• Questions and Answers on the EU Maritime Security Strategy
• EU Maritime Security Strategy

 

The European Defence Agency (EDA) has successfully closed the first phase of two projects focused on harnessing the potential of lithium-ion technology and electrified powertrains in military platforms. The results of the two projects, ELUVAT and LITBAT I, sought to put alternative power sources to the unique tests demanded by operational requirements. They have respectively shown the feasibility of an advanced electrified powertrain to meet military demands and sought to broaden the use of lithium-ion battery systems in defence applications with a set of requirements their use in a military setting and in future procurements.

ELUVAT and LITBAT I are both prepared within EDA’s Capability and Technology Group "Ground Systems” and have been executed by a consortium composed of industrial and research entities from across Europe.

ELUVAT

ELUVAT I (Innovative electric light utility all-terrain vehicle for defence purposes), involves the development of an all-terrain electrical light utility vehicle based on an existing legacy vehicle with a conventional driveline, to be modified by introducing an advanced electrified powertrain with in-wheel electric motors.

In the first phase, involving Slovenia (lead), Austria, Germany and The Netherlands as contributing Member States and Switzerland, the concept has been developed and validated through simulation, which covered space claim, weight, and performance issues, and has compared the new powertrain with the conventional powertrain. Different options for the power source of the electrified powertrain have been considered: a dedicated hybrid internal combustion engine, a battery pack, and a Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell to be operated by hydrogen.

The results of this first phase have made it possible to demonstrate the feasibility to meet operational requirements, highlighting critical issues and technological opportunities, and to choose the best architecture for the technology demonstrator that will be developed in a second phase.

The project also supports EU goals on energy efficiency and lowering the carbon footprint in the defence domain and is consistent with EU strategy on hydrogen, while also providing an opportunity for the development of dual use applications.

LITBAT I

LITBAT I which focuses on safety concepts and safety features of lithium-ion batteries and standardisation of most common battery format for lithium-ion technology, involves Austria (lead) and Germany, as contributing Member States, and Switzerland.

The projects aim at providing Military End Users with a set of requirements as a basis for specifications to be used in future procurement procedures. As lithium-ion batteries have become a prevalent power source in military applications due to their superior energy density and long service life they can exhibit thermal runaway if subjected to misuse or accidents, resulting in the emission of flames.

Despite this potential drawback, the benefits of utilising lithium-ion batteries in military operations far outweigh the risks. During LITBAT I, military requirements have been systematically gathered, aligned, and analysed to derive design specifications for safer and more resistant lithium-ion battery systems. Based on the first phase’s results, a representative battery system for land platform applications will be developed and tested in a follow-on phase.

Pan-European Consortia

“ELUVAT I” has been executed by a consortium composed of eight industrial and research entities:  the Austrian AVL List as project leader, the German AVL Schrick, the Swiss GDELS-Mowag, HyMove and Saluqi Motors from The Netherland and AVL-AST, Elaphe Propulsion Technology and University of Ljubljana from Slovenia.

“LITBAT I” has  been executed by a consortium composed of six industrial and research entities:  the Austrian AVL List as project leader, AVL Schrick and ICT Fraunhofer from Germany and GDELS-MOWAG, Berner Fachhochschule and Armasuisse as Swiss partners.

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) issued its call on February 15 for applications for the 2023 edition of the Defence Innovation Prize, which this year is dedicated to technologies for situational awareness and technologies for communication and information systems. A total of two prizes (one prize per category) will be awarded for the best innovative ideas. The prize-winners are expected to propose ideas which would, if implemented between now and 2030, contribute to improving and enhancing specific EU defence capabilities. 

The winning ideas or concepts will each be awarded €30,000. 

The EDA Defence Innovation Prize aims to stimulate defence technological innovation in Europe by supporting non-defence Research and Technology (R&T) communities and innovators who are set to play an ever-bigger role in developing and producing Europe’s future defence capabilities.

From 2023, the EDA Defence Innovation Prize is now under the umbrella of the Hub for EU Defence Innovation (HEDI), a  new platform for innovation lead by EDA that was established in March 2022 by the EU’s Strategic Compass for Defence and Security. The innovation prize complements other HEDI’s services such as the EDA Research, Technology and Innovation Papers Award 2023.

How to apply? 

The deadline for submitting applications is 15 June 2023. 

The contest rules and application criteria/details can be found here, (plus the annexes to the call for applications and more information here). 

The prize will be awarded during EDA's annual conference in Brussels in December. 

What is expected from applicants? 

Submitted innovations must be the applicants’ own intellectual property. However, submissions may include improvements of existing ideas, new combinations, or adaptations thereof and which are applicable in a different context. The applicants must demonstrate the innovative added-value of their ideas, compared to what already exists.  

Proposals must be innovative, implementable through a collaborative project and financially affordable in terms of future development and exploitation. 

The contest is especially, but not exclusively, aimed at non-traditional defence industries, including civil or dual-use producers, and researchers as they play a growing role in inventing and creating the disruptive capabilities that Member States’ armed forces will need tomorrow. 

The rules of the contest and the criteria for participation are available here. 

No specific defence background is required to be considered for the prize, and consideration is open to innovators from all types of industries and research institutions in EDA Member States, including defence and civil/commercial producers, large companies, start-ups / SMEs, and civil research communities. 

Representatives from 18 European Union Member States held the first meeting of the new Military Computer Emergency Response Team Operational Network (MICNET) on 9 February, following agreement among Ministers of Defence last year.

The establishment of this network of national response teams, individually known as milCERTs, is a substantial step towards enhancing the level of cooperation in the cyber domain at EU level, at a time when computer networks are increasingly contested and the number of cyber-attacks against the EU continues to grow.

Cyberattacks have increased exponentially in the past few years, having serious political, financial, and economic consequences across Europe and beyond.   

The new programme, MICNET, will be managed by the European Defence Agency (EDA) and is the first outcome of the new Joint Communication on the EU Policy on Cyber Defence

NEW METHOD, TRAINING 

Also on 9 February, EDA hosted in Brussels the launch of two other cyber initiatives: the milCERT Interoperability Conference 2023 (MIC2023) and the Cyber Defence Requirement Engineering project applied to the milCERT operational Network (CyDRE4MICNET).

Since 2020, EDA has been developing a framework known as Cyber Defence Requirements Engineering (CyDRE) to provide guidelines for cyber security information, and to establish a system-wide engineering method for all cyber defence projects and activities in EDA.

These can also be shared and used by Member States. It has already been used in maritime surveillance.

With the CyDRE4MICNET project, EDA proposes training Member States representatives on the system’s engineering methodology and using CyDRE along with the management of the new MICNET programme. 

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 Council today approved the draft administrative arrangement between the European Defence Agency (EDA) and the United States Department of Defence (US DoD) with a view to its signature.

The purpose of this arrangement is to provide a framework to exchange information and explore opportunities for cooperation between EDA and the US DoD. An initial scope of such cooperation includes:

• Forum of exchange and dialogue: the administrative arrangement will enable a substantial defence dialogue on all topics within EDA’s remit, and invitations for U.S. DoD to attend relevant meetings of EDA’s Steering Board and vice versa.
• Specific activities such as: consultations on the registration of chemical substances (e.g., EU REACH regulation), military mobility, supply chain issues and the impact of climate change on defence. The cooperation also includes participation in the open sessions of the European Defence Standardisation Committee.

The scope of cooperation may, upon mutual consent, progressively develop in the future. Currently, activities falling under the areas of capability development, as well as research and technology remain outside the scope of cooperation.

The arrangement confirms the significance of the transatlantic partnership in security and defence and reflects the importance of a stronger and more capable European defence that contributes to global and transatlantic security and is complementary to NATO.

Background and next steps

In the EU-U.S. 2021 Summit Statement, leaders committed to work towards an administrative arrangement for the United States with the European Defence Agency.

On 16 November 2021, the EDA Steering Board gave the mandate to the Head of the Agency to negotiate the arrangement, and on 9 December 2022, a draft proposal for an administrative arrangement was submitted to the Defence Ministers in the EDA Steering Board.

The arrangement will enter into effect on the date of the signature by the parties.

On 1 February, the European Defence Agency (EDA) has launched its largest Research and Technology project to develop highly autonomous combat unmanned ground systems. The project, Combat Unmanned Ground Systems (CUGS), brings together nine member states and 28 European industry partners.  With a € 35.5 million budget and running for 36 months, CUGS aims to define, design and develop a set of functional modules which will be mounted on to existing platforms. The final phase of the project will test full demonstrators for highly autonomous combat unmanned ground systems.

Autonomous systems provide operational benefits across a very broad range of missions, from intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and logistics missions to combat missions. Deploying unmanned systems reduces the danger to human personnel and manned platforms, while increasing robustness, sustainability and resilience of ground systems. It is expected that these systems will play an increased role in future Armed Forces by bringing faster manoeuvrability and more efficient and precise lethal and non-lethal effects, enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of land systems and ensure an advantage in respect to the adversary.

CUGS - Adapting European Platforms

The functional modules to be developed in the project will ensure autonomous navigation; command, control, communications, and cooperation; and use of weapon systems.  The modules will be integrated on several European autonomous ground systems; the mid-sized platforms Themis (Milrem, Estonia) and Wiesel (Rheinmetall, Germany), and large-sized platforms Type X (Milrem, Estonia), Lince 2 VTLM (Iveco, Italy) and Patria AMV (Patria, Finland).

The project will run across three phases; firstly, with the requirements and standard-based system architecture of the full CUGS demonstrator being developed for both the current autonomous platforms and future modules.

The adaptation of the five existing platforms will begin in parallel with the development of the combat functional modules. In the third phase of the project the solutions will be mounted on the platforms and will be tested and evaluated individually and in a cooperative way in relevant environments.

In the testing phase, the adapted unmanned ground systems should be able to autonomously move, navigate, communicate, detect, identify and lock targets, choose weapon systems and test firing sequences and safety aspects.

Human on the loop

Each type of weapon or type of engagement will require some specificity to reach the requested level of capability with a human in/on the loop. This project will contribute to identifying the adequate level of autonomy for autonomous weapon system with humans on the loop and to test relevant features in TRL (Technology readiness levels) demonstrators.

The decision to take lethal actions on the targets will remain a human decision. The execution of this project will be made following in respect to the European Parliament “Resolution on autonomous weapon systems (2018/2752(RSP))”.

Pan-European consortium

Due to the growing importance of unmanned ground systems for operations, nine contributing Member States (cMS) decided to launch the Combat Unmanned Ground Systems (CUGS) project. CUGS is a very ambitious and challenging project, led by Italy, that will also bring together the cMS of Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Finland, France, the Netherlands and Poland, as well as Norway.

The project will be carried out by a consortium led by Italy’s Leonardo and involves other 28 consortium members, namely Iveco, Larimart and MBDA IT, also of Italy, John Cockerill Defence, FN Herstal and the Royal Military Academy of Belgium, Diehl Defence, KMW, MBDA DE and Rheinmetall of Germany, Milrem Robotics, Estonia and the Estonian Military Academy of Estonia, Patria and Bittium of Finland, Nexter, Safran, Thales, MBDA FR and Arquus of France, TNO, Demcon and NCIM of the Netherlands, Kongsberg and FFI of Norway, and WAT, PIAP, ZMT and ASW of Poland.

As a project managed by EDA, the initiative is co-funded by Member States and additional participants can opt in. 

 

More information 

• Project Fact Sheet 

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)