A EuroDefense Alerta

Calls 2020 do Programa Europeu de Desenvolvimento Industrial de Defesa (PEDID)

“Os primeiros resultados demonstram o sucesso do Programa em atrair ideias visionárias contribuindo para a resiliência e a competitividade no sector da defesa europeia assim como para apoiar a cooperação entre os players do mercado, independentemente da sua dimensão e origem dentro da UE. Com um nível adequado de financiamento, o Fundo Europeu de Defesa permitirá expandir o sucesso alcançado hoje pelo EDIDP e lançar outro marco histórico na cooperação na Defesa Europeia.

Thierry Breton, Commissioner for Internal Market

1. Introdução

Estas palavras do Comissário para o Mercado Interno da União Europeia foram pronunciadas em 15 de junho deste ano, na altura em que dava conta da aprovação de 25 Projetos de Investigação e Tecnologia na área da Segurança e Defesa a que correspondeu um financiamento da UE de mais de 200 milhões de Euros.

Em tempo oportuno a Eurodefense tinha chamado a atenção para o lançamento das calls de 2019 referentes ao Programa Europeu de Desenvolvimento Industrial no domínio da Defesa (PEDID), cujos Projetos foram agora decididos. Deve destacar-se que 6 Empresas e Centros de Investigação Portugueses foram incluídos, o que mostra a capacidade e interesse do nosso corpo empresarial e de investigação na área da segurança e defesa. Pela sua importância financeira e tecnológica faremos uma análise detalhada dos Projetos aprovados e dos respetivos participantes num documento específico que difundiremos brevemente.

Importa referir que o PEDID foi dotado de 500 milhões de Euros atribuídos em partes semelhantes aos projetos de 2019 (agora aprovados) e aos de 2000, cujas calls já foram lançadas e constituem a razão deste novo alerta da Eurodefense Portugal, porque o prazo das respostas foi alargado para 1 de Dezembro o que dará um tempo adicional às empresas interessadas.

Parece oportuno também salientar que a partir de 2021 as verbas destinadas a este programa serão incluídas no Quadro Financeiro Multianual em processo de aprovação e que apesar dos cortes devidos à resposta à emergência sanitária, se estima vir a ser dotado na área do PEDID de 9 Biliões de Euros, a que corresponderá um apoio da UE de cerca de 1 Bilião de Euros por ano.

A aprovação destes projetos chama também a atenção para a necessidade de a informação relativa ao processo chegar em tempo oportuno às empresas, nomeadamente às PME e aos centros de investigação e estudo que constituíram 37% das entidades vencedoras. Este texto destina-se exatamente a ir ao encontro dessa pressentida necessidade, pelo que a seguir apresentaremos os elementos essenciais das Calls da UE para que as empresas possam aquilatar da sua capacidade e interesse em apresentar Projetos em devido tempo.

Dada as caraterísticas da nossa malha empresarial, gostaríamos de salientar que nas Calls de 2020 existe um programa (Innovative and future-oriented defence solutions: EDIDP-SME-2020) exclusivamente destinado às PME, que detalharemos no capítulo seguinte, e que apresenta 42 áreas de interesse. As propostas das PME podem cobrir uma só área ou uma combinação delas podendo apresentar: Estudos, Design, Protótipos, Testes, Qualificação Certificação, ou medidas para aumentar o ciclo de vida de equipamentos e tecnologias já existentes. Deve

Finalmente este alerta da Eurodefense-Portugal visa facilitar a análise das empresas reunindo num só documento um conjunto de informação dispersa, apresentado uma possibilidade de análise integradas das oportunidades que agora se abrem.

2. Calls 2020 relativas ao PEDID

As Calls 2020 relativas do PEDID são sustentadas por um orçamento total de mais de 160 Biliões de Euros e foram publicadas em Abril deste ano. A informação fundamental está disponível no Portal Funding & Tender da Comissão Europeia.

A seguir apresentam-se os dados essências relativos às 25 calls devendo chamar-se a atenção para que, na própria informação da UE, consta a identificação de entidades disponíveis e interessadas em estabelecer parcerias para lhes responder, dado que nos moldes legais para concorrer é necessário estabelecer consórcios que abranjam pelo menos 3 empresas (centros de investigação de 3 países diferentes.

Para cada Call, que apresentaremos em inglês para evitar deturpações de tradução, referiremos os:

• Submission deadline
• Budget Overview
• Specific Challenge
• Scope
• Targeted Acitivities

2.1. EU multiplatform mission management capabilities for air combat systems (EDIDP-ACC-3MACS-2020)

The submission deadline has been set to 1 December 2020, subject to further extension in case of evolution of the coronavirus crisis.

Budget Overview: 22 000 000 Euros

Specific Challenge:

The development of a consolidated EU perspective with regard to mid and long-term applications, requirements, solution concepts and technology needs for a EU multiplatform mission management capability for air combat. This call intends to provide a consolidated baseline within the EU Member States and industry in this subject matter, to identify potential “quick-wins” for European air combat capabilities and to set the starting point to ensure a high level of interoperability amongst future developments and products in this domain to finally support the path of achieving the desired air superiority.

Driven by the anticipated future threats in the air combat domain, mainly the existence and proliferation of highly integrated and networked air defence systems, fighter aircrafts of fifth generation and the expected limitations in use of the electromagnetic spectrum, the Capability Development Plan (CDP) highlights the need to integrate and “combine manned and unmanned platforms in a larger operational system”.  The development of future air combat systems will be characterized by an information centric networked approach. The next generation of air combat capabilities is envisaged as a combination of manned platforms – both newly developed and enhanced legacy fighter aircraft platforms–, teamed with a variety of unmanned systems, all equipped with a diversity of sensors and/or effectors.

To enable the variety of different assets to operate during an air operation together jointly and synchronized, to share sensor and effector resources, to share information and situational awareness overall leading to information and ultimately decision superiority to achieve the mission, a highly integrated multiplatform mission management capability will be required.

In the context of this call, this multiplatform mission management capability must be understood as the capability to enable a group, composed of several air combat platforms (manned and unmanned) of different types and capabilities, achieving a common mission task or goal. Moreover, such multiplatform mission management capability must be able to coordinate several groups of air combat platforms in time and space.

Scope:

The proposals must address the generation of a consolidated perspective of interested EU Member States and industries with regard to mid- and long-term development of an EU multiplatform management capability for air combat systems, manned and unmanned.

The proposals must consider manned fighter aircraft from EU origin (and potentially connectivity with those from non-EU origin), and unmanned combat platform assets/concepts like “Remote Carriers”, UCAVs and “Smart Cruise Missiles”.

The proposals must consider scenarios for air combat operations in contested and highly contested environments.

Targeted activities:

The proposals must cover the study and design, not excluding downstream activities, of an EU multiplatform management capability for manned and unmanned air combat systems.

The targeted activities must in particular include:

• the development of potential use cases, scenarios and applications for multiplatform mission management capabilities;
• the derivation of high level operational and technical requirements including human factors or artificial intelligence (AI) elements with regard to multiplatform mission management capabilities;
• the description of the solutions space by selected multiplatform mission management concepts;
• the assessment of EU existing technologies with regard to multiplatform mission management and respective technological enablers (e.g. network connectivity);
• a gap analysis of technologies to define respective roadmaps and conduct cost risk mitigation evaluation;
• the identification of “first” mid-term multiplatform mission management application (i.e. potential “quick-wins” based on “enhanced legacy fighter aircrafts”);
• the study, design and implementation of one or several small scale demonstrator(s) and its (their) concept assessment. The output must include:
  • a dynamic display of selected contemporary technologies and small-scale technological demonstrators, in order to make tacit expert knowledge accessible and conduct a nation-specific exchange;
  • the assessment of operational, technical and legal boundaries and limitations, and national specifics.

2.2. Upgrading or developing next generation combat helicopters (EDIDP-ACC-CH-2020)

The submission deadline has been set to 1 December 2020, subject to further extension in case of evolution of the coronavirus crisis.

Budget Overview: 22 000 000 Euros

Specific Challenge:

Combat helicopters are key equipment in the joint operational environment to gain positional advantage in respect to the adversary.

The evolving operational environment, becoming more and more demanding both for the platform and for the crew, requires the development of next generation and the upgrade of current combat helicopters with improved robustness, agility, versatility, level of flight automation and interoperability with next generation systems and future unmanned systems.

Scope:

The proposals must address the development of an advanced collaborative system for increased mission efficiency of manned platforms combined with unmanned platforms by means of a newly developed generic Manned-Unmanned Teaming (e-MUM-T) system. The system will allow the manned and unmanned platforms to be able of performing operational missions, which include the helicopter and the UAV, in demanding scenarios.

The proposals must consider several key aspects:

• robustness of the system to operate in several environment (denied, enemy defence strategy…);
• agility of the system to cope with operational mission change/evolution;
• versatility of the generic platform to ensure compatibility with different configurations;
• interoperability in term of data exchange between UAV and helicopter which will allow data fusion and combined mission operational decision;
• independence of the systems relative to the used platforms;
• autonomy support of the manned platform at different levels;
• autonomy of the platforms to improve operations while maximizing the survivability and efficiency of the squadron in operation.

Targeted activities:

The proposals must cover the study, design, prototyping and testing of e-MUM-T systems.

The targeted activities must in particular include:

• study:
  • feasibility studies;
  • definition of the Concept of Operation (CONOPS).
• design:
  • systems/equipment specification;
  • Detailed Requirements Review (DRR);
  • architecture definition;
  • preliminary design.
• prototyping and demonstrations (flight testing).

2.3.  Self-protection systems for fixed and rotary wing aircraft (EDIDP-ACC-SPS-2020)

The submission deadline has been set to 1 December 2020, subject to further extension in case of evolution of the coronavirus crisis.

Budget Overview: 22 000 000 Euros

Specific Challenge:

Innovative self-protection systems are crucial to efficiently tackle a wide range of threats and increase the platform survivability in a hostile environment.

One key challenge is to develop a European self-protection system compact enough to be integrated even on a helicopter and capable to counter current and future more agile threats.

The other is to maintain the affordability of the self-protection system while its complexity increases.

The proposed solution must include the following subsystems:

• Missile Warning System (MWS);
• Radar Warning Receiver (RWR);
• Counter Measure Dispenser System (CMDS);
• Expendable Active Decoy (EAD);
• Directed InfraRed Counter Measure (DIRCM);
• EW manager;
• Laser warning receiver;
• Other counter measures.
• Hard-kill solutions can also be considered.

Scope:

The proposals must address the development of a complete, advanced and versatile self-protection system for fixed (transport mission) and rotary (combat and transport missions) wing aircrafts self-protection system.

The proposed solution must include the following subsystems:

• Missile Warning System (MWS);
• Radar Warning Receiver (RWR);
• Counter Measure Dispenser System (CMDS);
• Expendable Active Decoy (EAD);
• Directed InfraRed Counter Measure (DIRCM);
• EW manager;
• Laser warning receiver;
• Other counter measures.

Hard-kill solutions can also be considered.

Targeted activities:

The proposals must cover study and design, not excluding downstream activities, of the proposed solution.

The targeted activities must in particular include:

• feasibility study including definition of the concept of operations (CONOPS), system specification, Detailed Requirements Review (DRR) and architecture definition;
• detailed design of the system, including the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) and potentially the Critical Design Review (CDR).

The proposals may also include the development of technological demonstrators, with the involvement of platform integrators, in order to support decision making during the design phase.

A detailed planning of the subsequent development phases must be generated, including the identification of implementation priorities, according to operational needs of the Union and its Member States.

2.4. Defence capabilities supported by artificial intelligence (EDIDP-AI-2020)

The submission deadline has been set to 1 December 2020, subject to further extension in case of evolution of the coronavirus crisis.

Budget overview: 5 700 000

Specific Challenge:

Modern forces rely on various systems and platforms (e.g. satellites, aircrafts, UAVs (Unmanned air vehicles), ships, ground vehicles) that generate massive data (i.e. big data) from different sensor/effector types and timeframes (e.g. real-time fluxes, weekly data reports, reactive acquisition missions). In addition, specific domains (Such as maritime surveillance) may also collate open data to flesh out mobiles identification.

The growing amount of data may offer the opportunity of a more efficient use of assets provided that processing tools, customized for existing communication links, are able to extract relevant information from data sources.

This call aims at helping the operator to leverage multi-source intelligence (multi-INT) data in large collections of data.

AI techniques should be looked upon with attention, as it may offer a significant potential to provide solutions maximizing performance at minimal cost. It is required to select different AI techniques most suited to the behaviour of the process being optimized.

Traceability and responsibility have also to be addressed properly within a supervised approach and black boxes components have to be minimized. Furthermore, vulnerabilities and potential failures have to be dealt with.

Scope:

• The proposals must address or contain description of:
• functional analysis of typical scenarios covering both areas:
  • situational awareness and decision making support;
  • planning
• fieldable concept that enables the use/implementation of AI techniques, among which, but not limited to, machine learning and neural networks, mixed with other typical AI paradigms (inferential engines, fuzzy logic);
• algorithm prototyping, implementation and verification, including the data sets and metrics to be used to do so;
• tools development including algorithm insertion and demonstration (PoC^[1]);
• concepts^[2]of AI-based applications’ store for end-users.

Targeted activities:

The proposals must cover the study, design, prototyping and testing of the AI-based technologies and solutions (e.g. System of systems/Subsystem of systems PoC).

These activities must in particular include:

• identification of feasible use cases and related requirements definition for AI-based application contexts;
• scouting of contemporary technology that can support agile design and implementation activities;
• collection of data representative of the use cases;
• implementation of verification metrics (scenario simulation using the collected data);
• implementation of technology demonstrator(s);
• verification of the technology demonstrator(s) through simulation of scenarios.

2.5. Capabilities for CBRN risk assessment, detection, early warning and surveillance (EDIDP-CBRN-DEWS-2020)

The submission deadline has been set to 1 December 2020, subject to further extension in case of evolution of the coronavirus crisis.

Budget Overview: 13 500 000

Specific Challenge:

CBRN threat is increasing worldwide with proliferating states, terrorists’ organizations and even “lone wolves” desiring not to limit their actions to conventional means.

This topic addresses the need for a CBRN surveillance capability limiting the risk for soldiers by using remotely operated platforms and providing commanders and when needed, civilian authorities, with a consolidated CBRN picture.

CBRN surveillance is the capability to observe and collect, including via sampling, information on CBRN threat indicators along with an ability to detect, identify and monitor CBRN substances and Environmental and Industrial Hazard (EIH) contamination. This collected information feeds into the CBRN information management system and forms the basis for timely, accurate and relevant CBRN advice.

The specific challenges of the topic reside in:

• the need for a simple, easy-to-use, remotely-operated solution for CBRN detection, monitoring and sampling in hazardous environments;
• setting up the basics for a European-built CBRN reconnaissance architecture.

Scope:

The proposals must address the development of a whole CBRN reconnaissance and surveillance system, based on unmanned ground and aerial vehicles for CBR detection, monitoring and sampling, to be used by a CBRN surveillance team (embarked or disembarked).

Targeted activities:

The proposals must cover the design, system prototyping and testing of a whole system in a representative environment with simulants and live agents, not excluding upstream or downstream activities.

2.6. CBRN medical countermeasures, such as preventive and therapeutic immunotherapy (EDIDP-CBRN-MCM-2020)

The submission deadline has been set to 1 December 2020, subject to further extension in case of evolution of the coronavirus crisis.

Budge Overview: 13 500 000

Specific Challenge:

The objective of this topic is to develop medical counter-measures (MedCM) for EU military forces to face current and emerging CBRN threats (mainly of biological and chemical nature).

It thus aims at developing common and shared capabilities for EU military against chemical/biological crisis generated by a natural or provoked event and at treating pathologies or injuries of significant impact. It will thus contribute to respond more efficiently to external conflicts and crises.

Such medical counter-measures are currently poorly studied by both academia and industry within the EU due to:

• their specificity;
• the large funding to be engaged for R&D;
• the low occurrence of such threats even though they are proliferating worldwide (thus increasing operational risks for military forces);
• current EU regulations on medicines.

Scope:

The proposals must address the development of medical counter-measures (MedCMs) against the chemical, bacteriological and radiological threats listed in the main high-level requirements below.

Targeted activities:

The proposals must cover the design, prototyping and testing of one or several MedCMs, not excluding upstream or downstream activities.

Compared with the development of a standard medicine these activities must be understood as:

• design: preclinical, in vitro studies;
• prototyping: preclinical, in vivo studies (The data or information on the kinetics and pharmacodynamics of the product or other relevant data or information, in animals and primates, will allow selection of an effective dose in humans);
• testing: clinical, phase I studies (Phase II and III clinical studies are considered as “qualification” and marketing authorisation is considered as “certification”).

The targeted activities must in particular include:

• the evaluation of state-of-the-art research in order to identify best MedCM candidates;
• the definition of preclinical studies to be performed to develop the best therapeutic or prophylactic candidates;
• the realisation of preclinical studies;
• the realisation of phase I clinical studies;
• the building of relevant documentation for marketing authorization based on the former activities.

2.7. Easily deployable and interconnected cyber toolbox for defence use (EDIDP-CSAMN-EDICT-2020)

The submission deadline has been set to 1 December 2020, subject to further extension in case of evolution of the coronavirus crisis.

Budget Overview: 14 300 000

Specific Challenge:

The main challenge is to create a new generation of mobile cyber toolbox to be used by cyber rapid response teams (CRRTs) to manage cyber incidents (detect, investigate and remedy hostile activities) in defence field, as well as government environment and critical information infrastructure.

Usually, CRRTs are deployed as mobile teams to deal with cyber incidents on its premises or from remote locations, possibly with limited access to secure communication means. In the modern environment, the dependency also for military operations from civilian infrastructure (including industrial systems) and civilian solutions is growing rapidly with emerging technologies such as 5G and IoT (Internet of Things).

Although there are many rapid response initiatives and many rapid response teams formed both in civilian and military organizations, they have limitations. These teams are usually able to operate only in common enterprise environments (e.g. Microsoft and Linux based environments), have limited capabilities for specialized systems, or are dedicated to work only in organizations’ internal networks. Therefore, these teams lack skills and tools to operate in multi-site and multi-organization environments. On the other hand, they are restricted to work in their own networks by legal constraints and technological means.

Currently, a number of home-grown and relatively well-established tools and training – both commercial and open source- are available. Large companies active in cybersecurity have also built cyber toolboxes for internal and external use.

These toolsets are, however, best suited to relatively conventional scenarios and may not be convenient to use or highly effective in transnational military and government environments.

Some of the limitations include:

• the packaging and architecture of such solutions, the integration with back-office investigation capabilities and the ability to face narrow network bandwidth;
• the stealthiness of the deployed tools on potentially compromised networks;
• the ability to face other, non-traditional types of systems, such as industrial control systems and SCADA (Supervisory control and data acquisition).

Scope:

The proposals must address the development of capabilities for CRRTs to manage effectively cyber incidents in the various above-mentioned environments and fields.

These capabilities (hardware and software) must be integrated smoothly and comprehensively in an easily deployable (including via commercial airlines) cyber toolbox.

The toolbox must address the following areas:

• Data collection, reporting, and reach back:
  • Stealthy data collection tools on potentially affected systems;
  • Ticketing system;
  • Communication platform;
  • Big data exchange platform;
  • IoC (Indicator of compromise) sharing platform.
• Monitoring, log aggregation:
  • Firewalls, IDS(Intrusion detection system)/IPS (Intrusion prevention system), including required network interface adapters, duplicators, taps, etc.;
  • Data collections tools and SIEM (Security information and event management);
  • Operating systems scanning, including deep and proven boot sanity checks of various Windows, Mac OS and Linux distributions, including in the virtualized environment;
  • Firmware scanning (USB, Ethernet, and WiFi-based)
• Analysis and forensics capability:
  • Analysis of the deployable tool output, including the analysis of acquired images and network traffic;
  • Fast, configurable data lake for logs and network activity analysis;
  • Connection with cyber threat intelligence.
• ICS/SCADA capability:
  • Tools required for data collection and analysis in industrial environments, addressing the most common ICS/SCADA elements’ manufacturers, protocols, interfaces, ;
• Vulnerability assessments and penetration testing capability:
  • Tools (hardware and software) for vulnerability assessment and penetration testing.

Targeted activities:

The proposals must cover the study, design, prototyping and testing of the cyber toolbox, not excluding downstream activities.

The targeted activities must in particular include:

• the review of the typical current capability of a CRRT, the activities such team performs, and the types of automated support that such a team needs. This must consider, among other things:
  • the possible functional gaps in current toolsets;
  • the impact of virtualized/cloud type environments on tool deployment and scalability;
  • the extent to which integration of different tools might simplify operator tasks and improve the effectiveness of a deployment;
  • the definition of a process to manage the evolution of the tools among many participating entities.
• the review of the implications of operating in widely distributed and interoperable environments, in particular, considering how CRRTs operate in constrained environments such as the military deployed environment;
• the review of the advanced team operating models that enable collaborative distributed activity, critically necessary to contain or manage large scale attacks enabling mission assurance, taking into account the questions of need-to-know/need-to-share and communications with command and control systems;
• based on these analyses, identification of specific enhancements that must be made to current generation toolsets, processes and practices;
• the design, prototyping and testing of a new generation toolset implementing these enhancements;
• exercises to inform operating processes and practices across the full operating domain;
• collective exercises (i.e. across multiple sites/systems/teams) to further develop operating processes and practices.

2.8. Software defined network for defence use including the development of products and technologies (EDIDP-CSAMN-SDN-2020)

The submission deadline has been set to 1 December 2020, subject to further extension in case of evolution of the coronavirus crisis.

Budget Overview: 14 300 000

Specific Challenge:

The main benefits of adopting network architectures based on the Software Defined Network (SDN) paradigm in defence networks at strategical, infrastructural and technology levels are known:

• agility and flexibility;
• ‘independency’ on the network elements’ technology;
• capability to efficiently use network resources;
• broader situation awareness;
• faster responses to events;
• etc.

Through the decoupling of network control and forwarding functions, SDN lets network control become programmable, and the underlying infrastructure be abstracted from applications and network services. SDN makes networks more flexible and easier to manage, simplifying and automating labour-intensive network management functions, service development and deployment, easier to re-configure and to interoperate among diverse networks.

Nevertheless, challenges for SDN remain when considering tactical networking, especially when carrying out ad hoc communications and information sharing. Tactical edge/deployable networking is probably the most challenging area where SDN can be used, but at the same time the one that can benefit the most from this new technology.

For strategical and infrastructural domains, SDN network architectures are typically centralized architectures that rely on a single SDN controller communicating with the SDN switches and the applications. Such architectural approach does not have to be automatically replicated for tactical networks which specific characteristics can be quite demanding: bandwidth constraints, links’ instability , frequent network topology changes, limited devices’ capabilities (battery and storage capacity, CPU (Central processing unit) power), high dynamicity (frequent mission reconfigurations and high mobility of nodes), stringent Quality of Service (QoS) requirements, presence of legacy networking elements , the need for redundancy and resilience for communications and information sharing and against cyber-attacks.

These characteristics, together with the increasing need for day zero interoperability within coalition federated scenario, require that SDN technologies and solutions for tactical applications are selected on a case-by-case basis.

One of the challenges is to identify the proper SDN technologies and solutions that allow to select the SDN network architecture which is the most suitable for the tactical edge/deployable network that has to be established on the basis of:

• the operational requirements of the mission;
• the available resources (g.:mobile elements on the field, available transmission means, heterogeneity of the network elements);
• the environmental/electromagnetic conditions and cyber threats of the operational scenario.

This challenge includes the capability to have SDN enabled products that allow to carry out the proper SDN architecture, with a high level of centralization or a distributed architecture such as a full SDN or hybrid (mix of pure SDN technology and legacy technology) network architecture, wherever and whenever it is needed.

Scope:

The proposals must address the development of SDN solutions (including the development of technologies and products), for a network architectural framework which provides EU armed forces with the needed information to select the most proper network architecture. This network architecture must be suitable for the operational scenario and mission requirements referring to specific operational use cases, based on CONOPS coming from the end users (armed forces).

This capability is to be shown in tactical edge/deployable applications by looking at the benefits for voice communications and C2 services and highlighting, where applicable, how the interactions with intelligent software defined radio device (e.g. cognitive radio), SDN enabled, can further improve the effectiveness of the mission.

The SDN architecture must be as much as possible suitable to support the new emerging defence technology against cyber-attacks in order to be effective not only for the network situational awareness, but also for the cyber situational awareness.

Targeted activities:

The proposals must cover the study, design, prototyping and testing of the proposed SDN solution, not excluding downstream activities.

The targeted activities must in particular include:

• the definition of the set of reference operational use cases on the basis of the CONOPS and requirements of the end users that have to be envisaged in the network architecture framework;
• a feasibility implementation study of the applicability of the selected SDN technologies to existing/future products, in a coalition SDN federated scenario. This study must be undertaken as guideline to be taken into consideration for the definition of the interoperability standards in tactical coalition networks (g. to be taken into consideration within the Federated Mission Networking initiative);
• the development of the network architecture framework which allows to identify the most suitable SDN network architecture for the reference operational use cases;
• the development of SDN controllers and switches functions that can be hosted on the same devices so as to make the same equipment suitable to be used in a centralized or distributed SDN network according to the operational needs, or to be used as backup SDN node in case of redundant architecture;
• the identification of the Software Defined Radio (SDR) device and suitable waveforms characteristics enabling for SDN usage;
• the development of the proper northbound and southbound API (Application programming interface)to allow to see the benefits for voice and C2 services;
• the development of the functions to be used for communications among different SDN controllers in distributed architecture and exploring applications in federated scenarios;
• field experiments and system validation.

2.9. Capabilities to detect, classify, track, identify and/or counter UASs in defence scenarios (EDIDP-CUAS-2020)

The submission deadline has been set to 1 December 2020, subject to further extension in case of evolution of the coronavirus crisis.

Budget Overview: 13 500 000

Specific Challenge:

Small UAVs, including cheap Commercial off the Shelf (COTS) and easy to assemble UAS components, are widely available and their popularity is even growing.

Traditional surveillance systems fail to cope with these objects because of their characteristics. Indeed their low speed make them invisible to conventional radars, their low altitude allows them to hide amongst trees or behind buildings, their very small RF (Radio frequency), thermal and acoustic signatures makes them difficult to detect. Additionally the high manoeuvrability of some machines makes their movement hard to track once detected, and their increasing on-board processing capabilities (e.g. automated and vision based navigation, use of Artificial Intelligence) makes them more resilient to “First Generation” C-UAS systems that rely on RF detection and jamming.

Scope:

The proposals must address the development of a counter UAS capability covering detection, tracking, classification, identification, risk assessment and neutralisation of the UAS threat, taking into account task assignment and coordination.

Targeted activities:

The proposals must cover one or more of the following activities: study, design, prototyping or testing of the proposed solution, not excluding downstream activities.

These activities must in particular cover one or more of the following:

• feasibility studies, capability gaps analysis, CONOPS definition, system specification, preliminary requirements review (PRR) and architecture definition;
• studies about promising technologies that nowadays have a technology readiness too low to successfully integrate and deploy in the field;
• detailed design of the system, including the System Requirements Review (SRR), the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) and Critical Design Review (CDR);
• Prototyping;
• Testing, qualification and certification in relevant operational scenarios.

2.10. Development of next generation and upgrade of current armoured platforms, including those able to operate in extreme climates and geographical environments (EDIDP-GCC-2020)

The submission deadline has been set to 1 December 2020, subject to further extension in case of evolution of the coronavirus crisis.

Budget Overview:  9 000 000

Specific Challenge:

The evolving operational environment requires the development of next generation and the upgrade of current armoured platforms with improved robustness, agility, versatility and interoperability with next generation systems and future unmanned systems.

Scope:

The proposals must address the upgrade of current or the development of next generation armoured platforms, in particular addressing Main Battle Tank (MBT) or Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) or Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) or other light armoured vehicle, or developing and integrating modern and upgraded systems, subsystems or sensors into existing platforms and/or payloads improving significantly their performance.

Targeted activities:

The proposals must cover the study of the proposed solutions, not excluding downstream activities.

The targeted activities could in particular include:

• the collection and definition of concept of operations (CONOPS);
• a feasibility study for the possible concept and technical solutions which fulfil the given high level requirements, including a Detailed Requirements Review (DRR);
• the detailed system specification (i.e. SSS (Sub-system specification) and SSDD (Sub-system design description));
• the high-level design of the selected concept;
• the detailed design of the system, including a System Requirement Review (SRR), a Preliminary Design Review (PDR) and Critical Design Review (CDR);
• the elaboration of a demonstrator;
• the benchmarking/testing of the demonstrator platform against the requirements.

2.11. Coastal radars and passive sensors with associated relevant networks (EDIDP-MSC-CRPS-2020)

The submission deadline has been set to 1 December 2020, subject to further extension in case of evolution of the coronavirus crisis.

Budget Overview: 20 000 000

Specific Challenge:

EU requirements for increased maritime surveillance calls for a capability to detect and track stealth targets and targets difficult to be detected by conventional radars, without running a risk of being detected and jammed. In this regard, the solution of passive bistatic/multistatic radars is considered as a promising alternative.

Additionally maritime surveillance should take into account archipelago, harbours and coastal urban areas, the surveillance of which requires the deployment of a dense network of sensors. Passive radars are by nature of lower cost because they do not include high power transmitters and the associated modules (i.e. high voltage power supplies, cooling circuits, etc.). Therefore, it is possible to comply with the above mentioned requirement by using a large number of passive radars which will exploit existing RF transmissions (transmitters of opportunity).

Scope:

The proposals must address the development of a passive, highly performant, resilient, reconfigurable and deployable radar system, with respect to multiple defence application scenarios and diverse target specificities.

The proposals must address at least the following points:

• detection of sea and air targets at all altitudes.Current commercial solutions respond only to lower tier targets;
• efficiency assessment of candidate transmitters of opportunities;
• capability to fuse detected cues using different type of illuminators;
• demonstration of the capability of operation in network (multiple sensors exploiting one common or multiple transmitters of opportunity);
• where possible, use of COTS technologies currently available from European supply chains;
• development of SDR (Software design radio)modules tailored for PCL (Passive coherent location) technology;
• assessment of innovative antenna configurations;
• reconfigurable technologies to achieve long term adaptability and application migration.

Targeted activities:

The proposals must cover the study, design, prototyping and testing of the proposed solution, not excluding downstream activities.

The targeted activities must in particular include:

• feasibility study, CONOPS definition, technology/system specification, detailed requirements review (DRR); analysis of possible extensive cognitive capabilities.
• detailed design of the technology/system, including the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) and ending with the Critical Design Review (CDR);
• development of small-scale technological demonstrators, in order to support decision making during the design phase of the final prototype;
• development, testing and validation of the final prototype system;

A detailed planning of subsequent project phases must also be generated, including the identification of implementation priorities according to operational needs of the EU and its Member States.

2.12. The submission deadlinehas been set to 1 December 2020, subject to further extension in case of evolution of the coronavirus crisis.

Budget Overview: 20 000 000

Specific Challenge:

EU requirements for increased maritime surveillance calls for a capability to detect and track stealth targets and targets difficult to be detected by conventional radars, without running a risk of being detected and jammed. In this regard, the solution of passive bistatic/multistatic radars is considered as a promising alternative.

Additionally maritime surveillance should take into account archipelago, harbours and coastal urban areas, the surveillance of which requires the deployment of a dense network of sensors. Passive radars are by nature of lower cost because they do not include high power transmitters and the associated modules (i.e. high voltage power supplies, cooling circuits, etc.). Therefore, it is possible to comply with the above mentioned requirement by using a large number of passive radars which will exploit existing RF transmissions (transmitters of opportunity).

Scope:

The proposals must address the development of a passive, highly performant, resilient, reconfigurable and deployable radar system, with respect to multiple defence application scenarios and diverse target specificities.

The proposals must address at least the following points:

• detection of sea and air targets at all altitudes.Current commercial solutions respond only to lower tier targets;
• efficiency assessment of candidate transmitters of opportunities;
• capability to fuse detected cues using different type of illuminators;
• demonstration of the capability of operation in network (multiple sensors exploiting one common or multiple transmitters of opportunity);
• where possible, use of COTS technologies currently available from European supply chains;
• development of SDR (Software design radio)modules tailored for PCL (Passive coherent location) technology;
• assessment of innovative antenna configurations;
• reconfigurable technologies to achieve long term adaptability and application migration.

Targeted activities:

The proposals must cover the study, design, prototyping and testing of the proposed solution, not excluding downstream activities.

The targeted activities must in particular include:

• feasibility study, CONOPS definition, technology/system specification, detailed requirements review (DRR); analysis of possible extensive cognitive capabilities.
• detailed design of the technology/system, including the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) and ending with the Critical Design Review (CDR);
• development of small-scale technological demonstrators, in order to support decision making during the design phase of the final prototype;
• development, testing and validation of the final prototype system;

A detailed planning of subsequent project phases must also be generated, including the identification of implementation priorities according to operational needs of the EU and its Member States.

2.13. Integrated solution to enhance the maritime situational awareness (EDIDP-MSC-IS-2020)

The submission deadline has been set to 1 December 2020, subject to further extension in case of evolution of the coronavirus crisis.

Budget Overview: 20 000 000

Specific Challenge:

This call intends to develop a modular and interoperable solution to enhance situational awareness and operations in the maritime environment through the development of a multi-sensors and scalable capability to detect, classify, track, and identify threats across a wide area of missions, including the ability to counter adversary attempts to use low-observability materials, designs and technologies to escape detection.

Scope:

The proposals must address the development of an integrated solution able to enhance the maritime situational awareness improving detection, classification, tracking, and identification of threats (air, surface and under-water) including the ability to counter adversary attempts to use low-observability materials, designs and technologies to escape detection, with focus on maritime littoral, high sea areas, harbour protection and critical infrastructure.

The proposals must address the following elements:

• a maritime surveillance secure digital platform, able to grant real time info sharing;
• information and data fusion services to merge information and data from different sources, exploiting the large amount of open maritime data;
• detection of anomalous and malicious behaviours, for example by making use of algorithms of artificial intelligence and big data analytics;
• forecast of the evolution of a maritime situation, for example by using predictive algorithms, in support of rapid decision making;
• a multi-sensor, multi-target, common operating picture to enhance situational awareness;
• a collaborative environment among users to share operation data;
• an architecture able to integrate:
  • innovative active and passive sensors with associated relevant networks (e.g. sonar, electromagnetic, multi/hyperspectral, video, IR, land-based radar surveillance, effectors);
  • robotics and automated systems for maritime surveillance equipped with different kind of sensors integrated in unmanned surface (USV), underwater (UUV) and aerial vehicles (UAV), both fixed wing and rotary wing;
  • space based sensors such as, but not limited to, AIS (Automatic identification system), optical (including multi/hyperspectral and IR), radar (including SAR), ESM (Electronic support measures)(including ELINT (Electronic intelligence).
• interoperability with heterogeneous systems, including existing systems already available across Europe;
• communication infrastructures to support information management and dissemination;
• Man-Machine teaming approach based on user experience to provide ergonomic, customisable and layered interface to the operators.

Targeted activities

The proposals must cover the study and design of the proposed solution, not excluding downstream activities.

The targeted activities must in particular include:

• feasibility study, including CONOPS, specifications, detailed requirements reviews and architecture definition. Requirements analysis for new sensors will be part of the study;
• detailed design, including the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) and the Critical Design Review (CDR) of the proposed solution.

The proposals could also include the development of small-scale technological demonstrators, in order to support decision making during design phase.

2.14. Multifunctional capabilities, including space based surveillance and tracking, able to enhance the maritime awareness (discover, locate, identify, classify and counteract the threats) (EDIDP-MSC-MFC-2020)

The submission deadline has been set to 1 December 2020, subject to further extension in case of evolution of the coronavirus crisis.

Budget overview: 20 000 000

Specific Challenge:

The EU has an increasing need of geospatial information for its decision-making processes.

In this field, the use of advanced satellite-based observation assets leads to a significant increase of the operational performance of current systems.

However, the development, launch and operation of a satellite for observation purposes require a large investment and a long development timeline. In this context, platforms based on small satellites (less than 100 kg) and the use of high-performance optical observation equipment could be a suitable approach providing they can meet the right resolution, (re)visiting time and operational requirements.

Scope:

The proposals must address the development of a small satellite mission for maritime surveillance, including all mission segments (i.e. flight, ground, launch and user segments).

The proposals must in particular address the technology issues relating to:

• mission design guidelines. Outline the main input parameters and variables to define the suitable mission for the maritime surveillance requirements;
• system engineering and integration proceduresfor the different components of the satellite depending on the designed mission. Special attention should be given to the communication electronics, as well as the optical payload processing unit;
• ground segment and operation requirementsdepending on final user surveillance needs. For example, number of images per target, revisiting frequency, etc.;
• image processingaspects depending on the mission, assigned orbit and specific surveillance requirements;
• satellite agilityto enable the continuous acquisition of target locations, namely maritime borders or coastlines.

Targeted activities:

The proposals must cover the study and design of a small satellite mission for maritime surveillance, not excluding downstream activities.

The targeted activities must in particular include:

• A feasibility study and the preliminary requirements, determining and examining the mission objectives.
  • Mission Definition Review (MDR). Having obtained the mission statement, a certain mission for a maritime border or coastline must be proposed as a use-case for the small satellite system;
  • Preliminary Requirements Review (PRR). Preliminary technical specification of the mission defined in the MDR phase and confirmation of the technical and programmatic feasibility of the system and operations concept;
  • Systems Requirement Review (SRR) consolidating technical specifications at system level for the defined mission in the MDR phase. The PRR and SRR imply the identification of some lead users to state and validate such requirements;
• The design phase. Providing the mission and the system requirements are defined, the system design must be subject to two consecutive activities:
  • Preliminary Design Review (PDR). The proposed design will be validated against the established system requirements for the proposed mission;
  • Critical Design Review (CDR). This activity will demonstrate that the system’s design can be implemented into a functional prototype and the subsequent industrial scale-up.

These activities must also include:

• the analysis of an integrated and synergic approach for the use of small satellites versus traditional EO satellites, with focus on SAR-Optical federation for IMINT, not excluding SIGINT solutions;
• the capability to operate an optical payload providing resolutions about 1 m or below in panchromatic and RGB (Red, green and blue), the electronics in charge of the on-board image processing (e.super-resolution algorithms), thermal and power control, as well as the mission design including ground segment and communication requirements;
• the selection criteria for the adequate launcher and operational requirements for the chosen orbit(s).

2.15. Maritime surveillance generated by networks of sensors based on fixed and/or semi-fixed unmanned platforms (EDIDP-MSC-NS-2020)

The submission deadline has been set to 1 December 2020, subject to further extension in case of evolution of the coronavirus crisis.

Budget overview: 20 000 000

Specific Challenge:

Current unmanned systems used for maritime surveillance are unable to fulfil the need for persistence, permanence and cross-domain situational awareness at low cost and reduced staffing. There is, therefore, a need for a new type of asset that will take advantage of a remote decentralized distributed sensors and C3 (Command, control and communications) network architecture, which will decrease the need to deploy high value manned assets to perform maritime surveillance and deliver persistent and permanent holistic maritime situational awareness.

The type of asset must be able to accommodate both existing and emerging sensors and other required technologies in a cost effective and operationally robust way. A key requirement for this new type of assets is to be able to perform long-range cross-domain maritime surveillance. In addition, this type of asset must be floating, thus semi-fixed, able to be re-deployed and thus reconfigure the network’s spatial arrangement within the EU offshore areas of interest.

Scope:

The proposals must address the development of a network of floating (semi-fixed) unmanned and autonomous platforms able to support the housing and simultaneous operation of a broad range of maritime surveillance assets and capabilities.

The network of floating platforms must be able to provide holistic and persistent situational awareness within the maritime domain. In particular, the floating platforms must be able to perform data exchange and energy recharge actions for a variety of UxVs while being able to securely and robustly communicate with C3 centres and to accommodate various types of radars, including but not limited to monostatic, bi-static and multi-static configurations facilitating beyond the horizon capabilities. Moreover, the platforms must be able to support electro-optical sensing devices as well as hydroacoustic arrays (including sonars) and other underwater sensors (e.g. magnetic anomaly detectors). Additionally, it has to provide secure housing facilities for a number of UxVs. The individual platforms, as well as the network as an integrated system of systems, must accommodate sufficient means for self-defence against relevant threat vectors.

Targeted activities:

The proposals must cover the study and design of the proposed solution, including partial testing of technology components, not excluding downstream activities.

The targeted activities must in particular include:

• the study of a network of at least three platforms able to satisfy the high-level operational requirements;
• the design at the level of detailed definition of a platform type of the network for a future prototype trial, including CFD (Computational fluid dynamics)simulations and tank tests of the proposed platform;
• the testing of the docking and undocking component for the UUVs to the platform may be tried.

2.16. A Platform for long range indirect fire support capabilities EDIDP-NGPSC-LRIF-2020

The submission deadline has been set to 1 December 2020, subject to further extension in case of evolution of the coronavirus crisis.

Budget overview:  7 000 000€

Specific Challenge:

Due to the evolution of the defence context in Europe, land forces need the ability to operate in a high intensity threat environment, facing potential technically advanced adversaries. In this context, associated firepower to protection of forces like artillery capabilities need to have their range, precision and efficiency improved.

Scope:

​The proposals must address the development of an enhanced European artillery through the upgrade of current and development of next generation of indirect fire (IDF) artillery systems (both gun self-propelled systems and rocket launchers).

Targeted activities:

The proposals must cover the study and design of the proposed solution, not excluding upstream or downstream activities.

2.17. Programmable and guided ammunition (EDIDP-NGPSC-PGA-2020)

The submission deadline has been set to 1 December 2020, subject to further extension in case of evolution of the coronavirus crisis.

Budget overview:  7 000 000€

Specific Challenge:

The objective of this topic is to pave the way for a European independent solution providing 155 mm 52-calibre artillery with very long range, high precision and heavy payload ammunition. The proposed solutions must address future challenges such as increasing action range beyond the range of potential near-par threats, decreasing dramatically collateral damages, operating in a GNSS-denied environment, providing ammunition with an improved targeting capability and potentially in-flight retargeting to provide maximum flexibility and safety of use for friend troops.

Therefore, the contemplated future ammunition will bring several advantages over current limited and partially non-sovereign solutions.

Technologies and functions developed under this topic will be also available for rocket artillery since they address the same challenges regarding precision, range, effectiveness and operation on a GNSS-denied battlefield.

Scope:

The proposals must address the development of a very long range (> 60 km), high precision and heavy payload ammunition.

Deliverables are expected within 24 months from the signature of the grant agreement.

Targeted activities:

The proposals must cover the study and design of the proposed solution, not excluding upstream or downstream activities.

The targeted activities must in particular include:

• feasibility studies encompassing: terminal effect rough assessment, ammunition architecture choices regarding propelling system, projectile and warhead type, interface with gun and artillery system integration;
• preliminary design of a complete ammunition;
• the provision of a roadmap for subsequent development phases (e.g. functional demonstrator to be tested in a proven 155 mm 52-calibre artillery and available technologies for future rocket artillery).

2.18. Innovative and future-oriented defence solutions (EDIDP-SME-2020)

The submission deadline has been set to 1 December 2020, subject to further extension in case of evolution of the coronavirus crisis.

Budget overview: 10 000 000€

Specific Challenge:

This category encourages the driving role of SMEs in bringing forward innovation, agility and ability to adapt technologies from civil to defence applications, to turn technology and research results into products in a fast and cost-efficient way.

Scope:

The proposals must address innovative defence products, solutions and technologies, including those that can create a disruptive effect and improve readiness, deployability and sustainability of EU forces in all spectrum of tasks and missions, for example in terms of operations, equipment, basing, energy solutions, new surveillance systems.

The proposals could address any subject of interest for defence, such as, but not limited to, the following:

• Cybersecurity solutions for the protection of the future security and defence systems (e.g. command and control, logistics, embedded systems, distributed simulation);
• Future compounds/smart basing technologies development;
• Development of innovative methods or methodologies for comprehensive technical requirements setting such as concurrent design;
• Future Mine Counter Measures (MCM) capabilities operating autonomous underwater systems, coping with current capability gaps in securing Sea Lines of Communication;
• Integrated maritime surveillance system, combining legacy assets with new, innovative solutions;
• Portable bacteriological and chemical future detection systems;
• Future soldier CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) protection equipment and integration;
• Innovative intelligence tools for early warning and countermeasure deployment support to counter CBRN threats;
• Wearable orthosis equipment and exoskeletons to increase strength capabilities and minimize stress of future soldiers;
• Autonomous and remote-controlled unmanned systems for safe medical evacuation of injured soldiers during military operations;
• End-to-end solutions for artificial intelligence in defence & security key strategic issues;
• Command and control systems designated for individual soldier-squad up to brigade Command, post logistic information system for maintenance, transport, medical, management;
• Armoured medium and light vehicle;
• Tactical logistic trucks;
• Protected, cooled and connected shelter solutions for fixed and mobile command post for EU operations;
• Future effective and collective CBRN protection capacity to civil population, military and their equipment;
• Mobility support deployable solution for amphibious and airmobile (helicopter) operations;
• Innovative battery for future infantry portable system (radio set, optronic, etc.) and for weapon system (missile) ignition;
• Innovative solutions (bio-based) for fuel production from organic waste to support military operations and energy self-sufficiency in remote areas;
• Innovative passive systems (solar-tracking) systems for energy production based on renewable sources to support military operations in remote areas;
• Innovative software systems for processing of aerial images and videos through hyperspectral imaging (for metadata/telemetry information extraction and exploitation in C2 systems);
• Integrated management system for assets and services required in emergency situations in the framework of EU defence operations, in order to increase sustainability of EU forces;
• Nanomodified composite materials and related production processes and design procedures for reinforcement of existing armours of military vehicles including bonding test equipment;
• Development of a minefields mapping system using unmanned aircraft;
• High capacity communications for UAVs (Unmanned Air Vehicles) in beyond line-of-sight applications;
• Medical virtual reality training simulator;
• Unmanned semi-fixed sea platforms;
• Additive manufacturing enhancing the logistic performance by provide to military end-users possibilities to produce spare parts using additive manufacturing solutions, particularly in the context of overseas operations, including manufacturing methods, diagnostic equipment, surface treatment, residual stress modelling and analysing, cracks formation or chemical corrosion in metals and multimaterials bonds or connection;
• Development of a capability to collect and process operational and oceanographic data, in particular those coming from gliders;
• Development of counter-UAS (Unmanned Air System) capability based on mini-UAS swarms;
• Secure high capacity communications for UAVs in beyond line-of-sight applications;
• Augmented-reality combat helmet featuring night-vision and ally or enemy position display, including artificial intelligence functionalities;
• Intelligent, dynamic and robust control of the quality of service in hybrid satellite-terrestrial telecommunication networks;
• Enhancing maintenance, repair and operating equipment including metal improving techniques, non-destructive diagnostic methods for fixed wing or rotary wing aircrafts;
• Innovative composite materials and transparent displays for existing and next generation military armoured vehicles;
• Development of an innovative set of deployable, unattended and remotely controlled network of sensors for ISTAR (Intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance) mission on the battlefield;
• Hydropneumatics rotary suspension technology for high mobility tracked armoured vehicles;
• Camp 4.0 infrastructure, based on real time cloud and on-premise digital twin benefiting from blockchain technologies’ robustness, able to channel all currently optimized logistics needs, such as chain of spare parts, maintenance, energy consumables;
• Solutions based on artificial intelligence for standardization of the automatic steering and manoeuvring systems of vessels in a cost-effective manner;
• Photonics-based SIGINT (Signal intelligence) payload for class II RPAS (Remotely piloted aircraft systems);
• Easy-to-handle low-tech diagnostic kits for selected chemical and biological threat agents, providing sensitive and low false positive response to detect exposure to classes of chemical and biological threat agents;
• Innovative future-oriented communication capabilities such as, but not limited to, quantum communications or high-speed secure free space optical communication.

Targeted activities:

The proposals must cover any single activity or combination of activities listed in Article 6(1) of the EDIDP regulation:

• Studies;
• Design;
• System prototyping;
• Testing;
• Qualification;
• Certification;
• Development of technologies or assets increasing efficiency across the life cycle of defence products and technologies.

Given the importance of time-to-market for SMEs, the proposals are expected to cover more than only studies or design.

Expected Impact:

• Innovative, rapid and cost-effective solutions for defence applications;
• Ground-breaking or novel concepts and approaches, new promising future technological improvements or the application of technologies or concepts previously not applied in the defence sector;
• Building innovation capacity across Europe by involvement of SMEs that can make a difference in the future;
• Potential for future market creation for SMEs.

2.19. Early warning against ballistic missile threats through initial detection and tracking of ballistic missiles before handing over to ground based radars (EDIDP-SSAEW-EW-2020)

The submission deadline has been set to 1 December 2020, subject to further extension in case of evolution of the coronavirus crisis.

Budget overview: 22 500 000€

Specific Challenge:

The global security environment is evolving with resurgence of great powers competition and nuclear proliferation issues. This topic is an opportunity to initiate the development in Europe of a ballistic missile early warning capability. It aims at developing a European autonomous capability coherent, complementary and interoperable with NATO systems, insofar as Member States rely until now entirely on information provided by a non-EU country distributed through NATO.

Scope:

The proposals must address some predevelopment activities of a space-based missile early warning system (SBMEWS).

The proposals must address the stand-alone capabilities of the SBMEWS, the handover to early warning radars and its contribution to the passive and active missile defence, considering all the phases of the missile flight from the launch up to the end.

Targeted activities:

The proposals must cover the study of the space-based missile early warning system (SBMEWS) before initiating its further development in Europe.

These activities must in particular include:

• the definition of a set of mission requirements that could be agreed as the basis for a joint development program (see “Main high-level requirements” below);
• the definition of a workable CONOPS, especially showing how the cooperating Member States will get their expected capability;
• the architecture study of the space-based early warning system:
  • considering different candidate architectures in terms of orbits and in terms of level of cooperation;
  • considering stand-alone SBMEWS capabilities;
  • considering handover capabilities to sea-based and ground-based radars;
  • considering SBMEWS contribution to the passive and active missile defence up to the end of the attacking missiles flight;
  • evaluating the candidate architectures regarding capability gaps, availability, reliability, resilience, technological and operational risks and protection possibilities;
  • evaluating the level of answer of the proposed architecture versus the hypersonic missile threat and the evolutions needed to cover fully this threat.
• the feasibility study of the space-based early warning system:
  • including the study of candidate space-based sensors and satellites;
  • including the study of dedicated ground segment architectures which will command the space-based sensors and process the sensors data in order to provide the expected early warning information;
  • including the study of SBMEWS inter-operable C2 architectures which will be in charge of the coordination and the data fusion between candidates space-based sensors and in charge of interoperability with early warning radars and missile defence in the scope of the NATO Alliance or between Member States;
  • evaluating the impact of including the hypersonic missile threat on the feasibility of the SBMEWS.
• a programmatic proposal presenting a development plan (highlighting critical path, and, if any, technologies needing anticipatory derisking/predevelopment phase):
  • including a proposal to mature the technologies that would be common to all foreseen architectures, in order to fund their anticipatory derisking, if needed.
• a comparative analysis between the different candidate architectures, the different levels of cooperation and the considered threats (ballistic, hypersonic), including cost aspects.

2.20. Advanced Space Command and Control (SC2) capability to process and exploit SSA data generated from sensors and catalogues to provide a complete space picture (EDIDP-SSAEW-SC2-2020)

The submission deadline has been set to 1 December 2020, subject to further extension in case of evolution of the coronavirus crisis.

Budget overview:  22 500 000€

Specific Challenge:

Theatre of an unprecedented strategic and military competition, space is likely to become a new confrontation frontline in the near future. Easier access to space, increased space debris in orbit, the existence of large space objects capable of offensive actions imply the necessity for Member States to acquire or upgrade capabilities to protect their countries and strengthen their role as sovereign powers.

The 2018 Capability Development Plan (CDP) points to a shortfall in the Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and early warning domain and identifies the need of an essential capability for securing Member States by preventing natural and manmade threats.

As a prerequisite for further defence cooperation in space, Member States should be able to reach a shared comprehension of what is happening in space.

A European military Space Surveillance Network (SSN) and SSA Command and Control (SC2) system are recognized as peculiar solutions to monitor the space situation and detect threats.

The main challenge is therefore to harmonize a shared military space picture: what its content must be, how to build it, how to share it among Member States according to an agreed information policy, considering that the participating Member States may start from different heritages and may have different interests in space.

The long-term objective of such an extended capability is to achieve a European independence on military SSA, to safeguard European interests in space and rebalance the strategic dialogue on the military SSA topic.

Scope:

The proposals, supplementing the civilian objectives of EU SST, must address the development of an advanced space C2 solution to process and exploit SSA data generated from sensors and catalogues in order to provide a complete space picture.

Such solution must take into consideration the following aspects:

• in-orbit assets to monitor and to protect;
• perception of the threats, accidental and intentional, in LEO (Low Earth orbit), MEO (Medium Earth orbit), GEO (Geostationary Earth orbit);
• access to a catalogue and to identification data, from patrimonial / partners / trustable-commercial sensors, with different levels of quality and availability;
• SSA centres / C2s, or at least different analysis tools;
• perimeter of responsibilities of ministries of defence and national civil agencies;
• level of participation in the EU SST(Space surveillance and tracking) consortium, which currently provides the main European capability for detection and tracking.

One of the objective of the proposal must be to agree on and implement the content of a shared actionable recognised space picture.

Targeted activities:

The proposals must cover the study, design and prototyping of systems and subsystems, not excluding downstream activities.

The targeted activities must in particular include:

• feasibility studies and system architectural definition of a European SC2 capability. This phase must cover military user requirements analysis, architecture definition, establishment of a programmatic roadmap, preliminary specification of the SSA architecture components (C2, communications, networking);
• formalisation of joint requirements, CONOPS drivers, use cases and architectural drivers, by involving the ministries of defence of the participating Member States to ensure design / operational consistency with other actions, if any, relating to SSA sensors in this call;
• identification and characterization of the relevant sources of data that can contribute to feed the system:
  • patrimonial sources from participating Members States;
  • sources from their institutional partners;
  • sources from trustable / qualified commercial providers.
• definition of CONOPS of the shared part of the SC2, especially:
  • which (and how) catalogue, identification and other types of data should be accessed or shared, between which ministries of defence or other national entity (content, level of processing, mode of access, security;
  • how could these data be further processed and fused, in order to improve their coverage, accuracy, reactiveness;
  • which sensors (or network of sensors) could be accessed and shared, by who, and how;
  • which military services and analysis tools can be shared, g.to characterize objects, detect abnormal behaviour, evaluate intentional threats, support military operations (ground, air, sea, space);
• experimentation of such joint CONOPS, exchange of data and services under simulated and real conditions;
• agreement on a shared architecture for networking national C2s / SSA centres, sensors (or network of similar sensors), data repositories, including a potential multinational shared area;
• definition of a roadmap for further development, in coherence with national roadmaps of participating Member States;
• overall C2 system architecture and preliminary design of a « network / federation » of enhanced national space operational centres, existing or being developed / planned by participating Member States; definition of interoperability standards, tools, procedures;
• performance engineering regarding cataloguing and identification of space objects on all orbits: completeness, accuracy, reactiveness;
• definition of the overall data model, pertaining to:
  • technical data: orbital and tracking data, identification data (optical and radar imagery, optical and RF spectral data), their auxiliary data, in order to ensure a consistent ingestion, storage, exploitation, share of data within either national C2 or a shared multinational area;
  • operational and supervision data, allowing the national C2s to reflect the operational status of shared sensors;

This activity must associate the provider of each selected data.

• development of a military SC2 prototype to evaluate architecture performances, help to support concepts of operation with users and support specifications. It must serve to demonstrate how:
  • requests (measurement or access to database) from different national authorities are taken into account and validated;
  • ground sensor planning and tasking is performed;
  • segregation and confidentiality of requests and results are preserved, according to the policy that must be defined, and how the common operational space picture is achieved.
• specification, prototyping and experimentation of structural or critical components, including security management (connectors, );
• coordination with other actions, if any, relating to SSA sensors in the same call.

2.21. Enhanced SSA sensors for accurate identification and characterization of existing Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) public and private assets (EDIDP-SSAEW-SSAS-2020)

The submission deadline has been set to 1 December 2020, subject to further extension in case of evolution of the coronavirus crisis.

Budget overview:  22 500 000

Specific Challenge:

Space assets and systems have become critical to ensure vital functions of military operations and need to be protected in their outer space environment. Theatre of an unprecedented strategic and military competition, space is likely to become a new confrontation frontline in the near future. Easier access to space, increased space debris in orbit and the existence of space objects capable of offensive actions, imply the necessity for European countries to upgrade or acquire capabilities to protect their space assets and strengthen the potential of their sovereign resources.

Acknowledging these changes to the security environment, and to face them better, the EU Global Strategy for Foreign and Security Policy (EUGS) has started a process of closer cooperation in security and defence. Through this process, based on the identified trends and information gathered from Member States and from the EU Military Committee, security has become today an integral part of the European Space Policy: in 2018, Space Surveillance has been highlighted as a capability gap in the progress catalogue of the EU Military Staff (EUMS) and Space Situational Awareness has been identified as a priority in the EU Capability Development Plan (CDP).

Above the SST sensors provided through the EU-SST initiative, EU military needs cutting edge technology sensors to better identify and characterize the threats (what is it? what is it capable of?) in order to reliably attribute threats.

Scope:

The proposals must address the development of future enhanced SSA sensors to improve identification and characterization of existing and future GEO (Geostationary Earth Orbit), MEO (Medium Earth Orbit) and LEO (Low Earth Orbit) public and private assets.

The technologies to be developed may include:

• trajectography for tracking of uncooperative objects;
• sensors for object characterization (g.photometry, polarization, radar imagery, optical imagery and spectrophotometry, passive RF, passive optical, SLR (Satellite laser ranging);
• ground- and space-based instruments.

Targeted activities:

The proposals must cover the design and prototyping of systems and subsystems, not excluding upstream or downstream activities.

The targeted activities must in particular include:

• use cases and performance requirements definition; architectural design and solution trade-off; design; build, verification, integration; validation including assessment of performance requirements;
• planning and cost estimate related to the following phases, including industrialisation and deployment.

2.22. Modelling, simulation and virtualisation tools and equipment for training, exercises, systems design, development and integration, as well as testing and validation (EDIDP-SVTE-2020)

The submission deadline has been set to 1 December 2020, subject to further extension in case of evolution of the coronavirus crisis.

Budget overview: 3 500 000

Specific Challenge:

The Global Strategy for the European Union’s Foreign and Security Policy defines an integrated approach to conflicts “at all stages of the conflict cycle, acting promptly on prevention, responding responsibly and decisively to crises, investing in stabilization and avoiding premature disengagement when a new crisis erupts”.

The current European simulation structure (in the sense of simulators and their interconnection) and European simulation and wargaming capabilities are fractured into many national systems and infrastructures with a limited interoperability and a lack of common understanding and definition of simulation models employed.

Scope:

The proposals must address the development of a distributed simulation infrastructure including basic simulation data allowing cooperative simulation between Member States, their military and civil organisations, as well as non-state actors originating from Member States.

The proposals must encompass the strategic level down to the tactical level and scenarios from the high intensity conflict to peace enforcement, stabilisation, counter-insurgency and anti-terrorism operations. Furthermore, civil-military cooperation (CIMIC) for the above-mentioned scenarios, protection of critical infrastructure and disaster relief must be included.

The proposals must in particular support the following applications:

• Simulation-based training and exercising for military and civilian staffs.
  • Preparation training for EU-Battlegroups for CSDP (Common Security and Defence Policy) missions;
  • Training on disaster relief scenarios;
  • Support to the integration of RPAS and drones in the national air-space (RPAS (Remotely piloted air system)-ATI (Air traffic integration));
  • Employment of artificial intelligence (AI) for simulated military/civilian force behaviour to reduce staffing of simulation.
• Preparation of force deployment.
  • Validation of EU force deployment plans;
  • Employment of decision support tools for evaluation of scenarios.
• Concept development and evaluation.
  • Identification and quantification of deficiencies;
  • Simulative evaluation of new equipment and systems;
  • Definition and evaluation of new organisations, tactics and procedures;
  • Support of projects, preferably corporately developed by EU Member States;
  • Employment of data mining and operations research tools.

The proposals must address scenarios in either one or multiple military domains (land, sea, air, space, cyber).

Targeted activities:

The proposals must cover study, design and prototyping of a solution, not excluding downstream activities.

The targeted activities must in particular include:

• preliminary/feasibility studies:
  • analysis of EU Member States’ defence national standards and regulations concerning simulation;
  • analysis of NATO standards and regulations concerning connection of simulations;
  • analysis of civilian communication and data exchange standards;
  • analysis of commonality of requirements;
  • definition of requirements;
  • definition of CONOPS (Concept of Operations).
• design:
  • definition of the system architecture (hardware, software, networks);
  • definition of the security environment;
  • proposal for a test-case as a basis for the demonstrator;
  • definition of an effects database.
• prototyping – demonstrator implementation:
  • ntegration of a system demonstrator for risk mitigation;
  • presentation of study results and execution of a demonstration with a test scenario.

A detailed planning of the potential subsequent project phases must be generated, including the identification of implementation priorities, according to the operational needs of the EU and its Member States.

2.23. Enhanced defence diving solutions to detect, identify, counter and protect against sub-surface threats (EDIDP-UCCRS-EDD-2020)

The submission deadline has been set to 1 December 2020, subject to further extension in case of evolution of the coronavirus crisis.

Budget overview: 22 500 000

Specific Challenge:

Diving capabilities are a strategic asset, where critical gaps are currently identified within the EU. Enhanced defence diving is needed to support the full spectrum of underwater intervention operations in expeditionary setting, both at sea and in inland bodies of water. The developed diving related capabilities should respond to 2018 CDP priorities with regard to manoeuvre at sea, protection of sea lines of communications and underwater regulated zones, enhancement of the resilience of EU critical maritime infrastructure and the conduct of mine counter measures (MCM).

Diving activities in general involve a risk which is a sum of many diving specific and nonspecific factors (risk components), some of which are not fully studied yet and are to be addressed by tailor-made and innovative solutions based on cutting-edge and disruptive technologies.

• Ability to avoid/mitigate Decompression Sickness (DCS) risk. Although scientists have focused on studying the decompression process for a long time, the basic principles are not fully understood yet. The current decompression models are mostly empirical and hypothetical and do not fully reflect the actual behaviour and reactions of the human body during decompression. DCS risk is influenced by individual human susceptibility and by intra-individual changes in susceptibility on a day-by-day basis. There is also a gap for innovative technologies for reliable and effective medical support and recovery of divers, such as technologies tailored to individual real-time diving profiles, which increases the efficiency of DCS avoidance/mitigation and provides flexibility and efficiency in case of decompression accident.
• Ability to create and use a real-time underwater common operational picturethrough the fusion of various types of information, as a collaborative planning and task-execution tool at all levels, thus enhancing operational effectiveness through a unified information exchange system.
• Necessity to ensure interoperability, coordination and de-confliction of underwater intervention activities, including manned-unmanned teaming, involving employment of a big number of divers and UUVs simultaneously (swarm). The methods and systems in use are often obsolete, imprecise or not reliable enough for defence application.

Scope:

The proposals must address the development of next-generation comprehensive solutions for enhanced defence diving to detect, identify, counter and protect against sub-surface threats.

These solutions must include medical support system for physiological support and recovery of divers in case of decompression sickness problem, C4I mission systems for underwater management, underwater monitoring, situational awareness, positioning, navigation and manned-unmanned teaming. The proposed solutions must in particular cover the following areas:

• decompression sickness (DCS) risk mitigation;
• underwater positioning, tracking, wireless communications and data transfer subsurface and subsurface-surface over great distance;
• manned-unmanned teaming in swarm mode setting (underwater AIS).

Targeted activities:

The proposals must cover at least the design or the prototyping of the solutions, not excluding upstream and downstream activities such as feasibility study and testing in an operational environment.

The targeted activities must in particular include:

• the collection and analysis of end-user’s requirements;
• the definition of operational priorities;
• the definition of performance indicators to evaluate technical solutions versus the end-user’s requirements;
• the design or system prototyping, including simulation;
• the elaboration of roadmap(s) for further developments.

2.24. Solutions to detect, identify, counter and protect against mine threats (including those operating at very high depths) (EDIDP-UCCRS-MCM-2020)

The submission deadline has been set to 1 December 2020, subject to further extension in case of evolution of the coronavirus crisis.

Budget overview: 22 500 000

Specific Challenge:

Mine-countermeasures capability is an increasing concern worldwide (including for several EU Member States), in particular the necessity to come up with disruptive and robust solutions in order to tackle the ever-evolving hostile environment taking advantage of technological progress.

Both technical know-how and operational expertise are required to come up with performing, competitive solutions able to face up with the worldwide competition.

It is a topic where the European Union can take benefit of the already-existing ecosystem and expertise within its Member States in order to reinforce its strategic position

Among the future challenges that mine-countermeasures solutions will have to tackle there will be:

• at mission management level: the ability for operator(s) to handle and process increasingly complex, multi-source data;
• at mission level: the necessity to optimize conditions of handling unmanned systems for safe operations and mission time optimization;
• at unmanned system level: the ability to operate in more and more complex conditions (deeper, GPS denied…) and to process data inside unmanned systems in order to increase their autonomy.

Scope:

The proposals must address the development of next-generation mine-countermeasures solutions.

These solutions must include both manned and unmanned systems, Command, Control, Communication, Computers and Information (C4I) and mission management systems, sensors, as well as manned-unmanned teaming, and their basing, launching and retrieval, to detect, identify, counter and protect against mine threats (including those operating at very high depths).

Targeted activities:

The proposals must cover at least the design or the prototyping of the solutions, not excluding upstream and downstream activities such as feasibility study and testing in an operational environment.

The targeted activities must in particular include:

• the collection and analysis of end-user’s requirements;
• the definition of operational priorities;
• the definition of performance indicators to evaluate technical solutions versus the end-user’s requirements;
• the design or system prototyping;
• simulations to create realistic scenarios allowing to work on new operational concepts of use for robotized mine warfare systems and to optimize the sizing and design of the solutions;
• the elaboration of roadmap(s) for further developments.

2.25. Solutions to detect, identify, counter and protect against mobile manned, unmanned or autonomous underwater systems (including those operating at very high depths) (EDIDP-UCCRS-MUAS-2020)

The submission deadline has been set to 1 December 2020, subject to further extension in case of evolution of the coronavirus crisis.

Budget overview:  22 500 000

Specific Challenge:

Among the future challenges that underwater warfare solutions will have to tackle there will be:

• at mission management level: the ability for operator(s) to handle and process increasingly complex, multi-source data;
• at mission level: the necessity to optimize conditions of handling assets such as unmanned systems or sensors for safe operations and mission time optimization;
• at systems level: the necessity to optimize at early stage detection, identification, classification and neutralization of underwater manned, unmanned and autonomous systems that are floating, sailing or bottoming subsurface. Different architectures of systems could be proposed with sensors, mission systems management and inter-connections between the different sub-systems of the architecture proposed. These could include usual assets generally employed for these tasks like Maritime Patrol Aircrafts (MPA) with appropriate sensors or could include more innovative solutions including UAV (Unmanned air vehicle)or other assets;
• at unmanned system level: ability to operate in more and more complex conditions (deeper, GPS denied…) and to process data inside the unmanned system in order to increase its autonomy.

Scope:

The proposals must address the development of next-generation underwater warfare solutions.

These solutions must include both manned and unmanned systems, Command, Control, Communication, Computers and Information (C4I) and mission management systems, sensors, as well as manned-unmanned teaming, and their basing, launching and retrieval, to detect, identify, counter and protect against mobile manned, unmanned or autonomous underwater systems (including those operating at very high depths).

Targeted activities:

The proposals must cover at least the design or the prototyping of the solutions, not excluding upstream and downstream activities such as feasibility study and testing in an operational environment.

The targeted activities must in particular include:

• the collection and analysis of end-user’s requirements;
• the definition of operational priorities;
• the definition of performance indicators to evaluate technical solutions versus the end-user’s requirements;
• the design or system prototyping;
• simulations to create realistic scenarios allowing to work on new operational concepts of use for robotized mine warfare systems and to optimize the sizing and design of the solutions;
• the elaboration of roadmap(s) for further developments.

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Lisboa, 23 Junho de 2020

António Fontes Ramos e Diana Vasconcellos