Defence`s Feeds

On 11 October 2017, SEDE held a public hearing on the militarisation in the Black Sea. The hearing was timely, as the regional security situation on the eastern flank has become very challenging for the EU and NATO. It focused on the security situation following the Russian illegal annexation of Crimea and the conflict in Eastern Ukraine. Furthermore, the hearing analysed the military strategic consequences of the conflicts and the possibilities to foster stability and cooperation.
Location : Paul-Henri Spaak 5B001
Further information
Programme
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

SEDE organised a public hearing on 'Artificial intelligence and its future impact on security' on Wednesday 10 October 2018, from 09.00 to 11.30, with four external experts.
Location : Paul-Henri Spaak, room 5B001
Further information
Draft programme
Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

SEDE organised a public hearing on 'The threats posed by drones to Europe's armed forces' on Tuesday 20 November 2018, from 09.30 to 11.00, with external experts.
Location : Paul-Henri Spaak, room 5B001
Further information
Draft programme
Presentation of Colonel Christophe Michel, SGDSN
Presentation of Tal Inbar, The Fisher Institute for Air & Space Strategic Studies
Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

SEDE organised a public hearing on 'Joint Parliamentary Scrutiny on EU Defence Affairs' on Tuesday 2nd April, from 14.30 to 16.00, with external experts
Location : Altiero Spinelli Room 3E-2
Further information
Programme
Poster
Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

SEDE organised a public hearing on 'European Space Security and Defence: What action at EU level to address militarisation of space and race for resources?' on Tuesday 12 November 2019 with external experts.
Further information
Programme
Poster
Press release: Militarisation of space and race for resources: What can EU do about it? - 12 November 2019
Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

The next meeting of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) is scheduled to take place on Monday 2 December 2019 from 15:00 - 18:30 and on Tuesday 3 December 2019 from 9:00 - 12:30 and from 14:30 - 18:30 in Brussels (room SPINELLI 3E2).

You are welcome to follow us on the EP Multimedia Centre.

Recent press releases:

- MEPs exchange views with UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations - 21 November 2019
- Subcommittee for Security and Defence visit to the European Defence Agency - 18 November 2019
- Militarisation of space and race for resources: What can EU do about it? - 12 November 2019
- Children of foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq: MEPs to assess the situation - 6 November 2019
- AFET/DROI/SEDE meet with UN Secretary General in New York and hold consultations with the US Congress in Washington, DC - 1st November 2019
- Parliament delegation to visit the United Nations General Assembly and US Congress - 25 October 2019
...

Further information
EP Mulitmedia Centre
Press release: MEPs exchange views with UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations - 21 November 2019
Press release: Subcommittee for Security and Defence visit to the European Defence Agency - 18 November 2019
Press release: Militarisation of space and race for resources: What can EU do about it? - 12 November 2019
Press release: Children of foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq: MEPs to assess the situation - 6 November 2019
Press release: AFET/DROI/SEDE meet with UN Secretary General in New York and hold consultations with the US Congress in Washington, DC - 1st November 2019
Press release: Parliament delegation to visit the United Nations General Assembly and US Congress - 25 October 2019
Press release: MEPs call for sanctions against Turkey over military operation in Syria - 24 October 2019
Press release: NATO Parliamentary Assembly in London: “Unilateral military operation in north east Syria is a security risk to us all” - 15 October 2019
Press release: Russian actions prompt NATO and EU to improve military mobility in Europe - 8 October 2019
Press release: End of INF Treaty: Is arms control out of fashion? - 26 September 2019
Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

Chinese Z-8 Naval Anti-Submarine Warfare and Utility Helicopter

Today, the OCEAN2020 project, managed by a 42 partner consortium from 15 EU countries, has successfully launched its first sea demonstration in the Gulf of Taranto, Italy. The OCEAN2020 Live Sea Demonstration involves a total of 9 unmanned assets and six naval units from Italy, Spain, Greece and France. The deployment of manned and unmanned systems, when integrated with satellite and communication networks, aims to enhance overall maritime situational awareness and build a comprehensive picture of developing situations for military decision-makers.  

Pierre Delsaux, Deputy Director General, DG GROW - European Commission, said, “Today Ocean 2020 is demonstrating its technical achievements, but also that joint research and development at the EU level works. With the preparatory action on defence research we started small. But it helped us to gain valuable experience for the fully-fledged European Defence Fund in place in 2021 to further strengthen the competitiveness of our defence industries.” 

Led by Leonardo, the OCEAN2020 (Open Cooperation for European mAritime awareNess) maritime initiative brings together technical specialists in the maritime domain covering the observing, orienting, deciding and acting operational tasks. In the Mediterranean Sea Demonstration, OCEAN2020 brings together data and information from a variety of sources; 9 unmanned assets – four aircraft, three surface and two underwater, six naval units, five satellites for communication and surveillance, four National Maritime Operations Centres (MOC), two ground communication networks and a prototype of a European Maritime Operations Centre (EU MOC) to build a comprehensive maritime picture.

The two-day live demonstration is the latest phase in the ambitious project which aims to demonstrate enhanced situational awareness in a maritime environment through the integration of legacy and new technologies for unmanned systems.  OCEAN2020 aims to achieve operational and technical objectives, these range from enhanced situational awareness, autonomy, cost effectiveness and increased interoperability for joint missions also using protocols compatible with NATO standards. The variety of assets involved in OCEAN2020 highlights how collaborative autonomy between multi-domain unmanned vehicles can provide a force multiplier.

Giovanni Soccodato, Chief Strategic Equity Officer at Leonardo, speaking on behalf of OCEAN2020 Consortium, said: “OCEAN2020 is an incredibly ambitious project. To deliver it, we are bringing together a pan-European team of experts, each of which is contributing its own area of world-class capabilities. Operationally, this project is important demonstrating the possibility to enhance maritime surveillance – of vital interest to European defence – integrating unmanned platforms with traditional systems. More broadly, OCEAN2020 demonstrates the potential and the true spirit of  European collaboration in the defence sector, having enabled a real partnership of large and small industry, academia and defence ministries from across the continent.”
 

Jorge Domecq (EDA Chief Executive), Pierre Delsaux (Deputy Director General, DG GROW), Giovanni Soccodato (Chief Strategic Equity Officer at Leonardo)

 
From sea to EDA: EU MOC prototype in Brussels

To highlight the capability of OCEAN2020 to a wider audience, a prototype of an EU MOC was installed at EDA in Brussels. Today, a demonstration took place offering an opportunity for OCEAN2020 consortium members, project stakeholders and members of the press to discuss the impact of the project and follow the exercise taking place in Italy live via the EU MOC.

Jorge Domecq, EDA Chief Executive, said, “Today’s demonstration is proof of the added-value of EU supported defence research. In deploying 9 unmanned assets, naval assets and integrating them with an extensive satellite and communication networks, OCEAN2020 takes the aims of PADR and puts them into the operational domain where the benefits of European defence cooperation are confirmed.”
 

First sea demonstration 20-21 November 2019

Today’s Mediterranean Sea Demonstration, led by the Italian Navy, tests how the fusion of data and information collected from the assets deployed in the area of operations can be integrated to create a Recognised Maritime Picture (RMP). OCEAN2020 aims to show how multiple information sources can be integrated with Combat Management Systems (CMSs) to create a RMP, while equally highlighting how collaborative autonomy between multi-domain unmanned vehicles can provide a force multiplier. The demonstration runs two scenarios; a threatening vessel interdiction and interception of a mine laying vessel before an amphibious operation.
 

Baltic Sea 2020

A second Live Sea Demonstration will take place in Summer 2020 in the Baltic Sea and will be led by the Swedish Navy.
 

Background

Funded from the European Union’s Preparatory Action on Defence Research under grant agreement No 801697, OCEAN2020 received funding of €35.48 Million. Since its launch in April 2018 the project has undertaken extensive research and technology work to reach the point of undertaking a live sea demonstration. The consortium have been involved in a significant amount of solution analysis, system design, technical development and system integration of individual assets and trials.

Information on the 42 consortium members can be found on the OCEAN2020 website and factsheet.
 

Further information

• OCEAN2020 Factsheet
• OCEAN2020 Website 
• @OCEAN2020 Twitter account
• #OCEAN2020 on social media
• EC Press release IP/19/1717 European Defence Fund on track with €525 million for Eurodrone and other joint research and industrial projects (19 March 2019)
• News OCEAN2020 kick-off meeting at EDA (10 Apr 2018)

  EDA press contacts:

Elisabeth SCHOEFFMANN
Head of Media & Communication
T+32 470 87 01 65

Paul QUINN
Media & Communications Officer 
Tel:  +32 2 504 28 24

         
OCEAN2020 consortium press contacts:

Fiorella LAMBERTI
OCEAN2020 Communications Manager – Leonardo
Tel: +39 06 32 47 39 30

Flavia NEGRETTI
Media Relations Manager - Leonardo 
Tel:  +39 33 46 37 84 22

 
EC press contacts:

Mirna TALKO
Team Leader – Press and Social Media team
Tel: +32 2 29 87278

Olga JABLONOWSKA
Information and Communication Officer 
Tel:  +32 2 29 95113

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Length of video : 104'
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Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

Chinese Z-11 Light Utility Helicopter

Chinese Dongfeng EQ1120 General Utility Truck

Around 50 helicopter tactics specialists from 11 EDA participating Member States as well as representatives of the Helicopter Tactics Instructors Course (HTIC), the Joint Air Power Competence Centre (JAPCC), and European Helicopter industry met recently in the Air Manoeuvre, Training and Exercise Centre (AMTEC) situated in Celle, Germany, for the 10th Helicopter Tactics Symposium, organised under the EDA’s Helicopter Exercise Programme (HEP). 

 

Participants of the Helicopter Tactics Symposium

 

This annual event proved once more to be a unique occasion for European helicopter crews to discuss and share expertise and best practices related to helicopter tactics and to learn about  training opportunities under the Helicopter Exercise Programme (HEP).

A central part of the symposium was devoted to drawing the tactical lessons from recent EDA helicopter exercises, such as ‘Dark Blade 19’ held at Namest 22nd Helicopter Air Base, Czech Republic, in May 2019 (see EDA webnews here). Other sessions addressed the lessons learned from operation MINUSMA in Mali as well as the experiences made by helicopter pilots in Iraq and Libya. Furthermore, a Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) shared his experience and feedback on working with helicopters in operations as well as EDA exercises.

Symposium attendees also received detailed information on helicopter tactics such as aerial gunnery, personnel recovery, air assault/airmobile operations and its planning cycle, NVG training and Attack Helicopter Tactics. A representative from Sweden briefed on the country’s new Helicopter Tactics Training Concept which will include courses given under the umbrella of EDA such as HTC and HTIC.
 

Electronic Warfare

A new topic on the annual EDA Helicopter Tactics Symposium was Electronic Warfare (EW). In that context, participating Member States' experts also provided briefings on evasive training and EW threats. Another new topic raised at the symposium was ‘Non-Technical Skills in Weapon Instructor Training” which was presented by a senior Dutch aviation psychologist and instructor pilot.
Industry was also present during the symposium with a speaker on ‘Rotary Wing developments to meet future operational needs’.

Looking ahead, symposium participants were briefed on upcoming HEP exercises, including Swift Blade 2020 (to be held in The Netherlands and Belgium) which will focus on helicopter Composite Air Operations (COMAO) and national training required by the participating member states. In 2021, the annual HEP exercise will take place in Portugal under the label ‘Hot Blade’.

 

More information:

• Helicopter initiatives (EDA project page) 

 

Length of video : 43'
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Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

SEDE MEPs meeting with EDA Chief Executive and EDA key interlocutors. Discussing EU defence capability planning and the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the future of defence at very productive meeting.
Further information
Press release: Subcommittee for Security and Defence visit to the European Defence Agency - 18 November 2019
Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

SEDE organised a public hearing on 'European Space Security and Defence: What action at EU level to address militarisation of space and race for resources?' on Tuesday 12 November 2019, from 09.00 to 10.30hrs in room ASP 3E2, with external experts.
Further information
Programme
Poster
Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

American M920 Tractor Truck

HMS Prince of Wales, second Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier for the Royal Navy will be formally commissioned on December, 10 2019.

Tag: HMS Prince of Wales

On 7 November, European Defence Agency (EDA) hosted two high level meetings on RPAS Air Traffic Integration and the future of Single European Sky (SES). EDA welcomed senior representatives from European aviation organisations including, EASA, SESAR Joint Undertaking, European Commission (DG MOVE) and Eurocontrol. 
 

High Level Group on the implementation of Single European Sky 

The European Defence Agency was delighted to host the meeting of the High Level Group on SES. The aims of this event were to take stock the outcomes of the High Level Conference on the Future of SES (11-12 September) and to discuss the way ahead regarding the concepts promoted by the Airspace Architecture Study and the Wise Persons Group Report, in view of the Transport Council on 2 December 2019.  During the discussions, EDA Chief Executive, Jorge Domecq,  recalled that the military community recognises the need to collaboratively address the modernisation of the European Air Traffic Management (ATM) system for the benefit of all users, ensuring that some key military principles, in particular linked to ATM Data Service Provision (ADSP) and Airspace Management, which is a national prerogative, are duly considered.
  

4th High Level Coordination Mechanism Meeting

EDA also  hosted the 4th high level meeting on the Coordination Mechanism between the European Commission, EASA, SJU and EDA for the development and implementation of a joint civil-military Roadmap towards drone Air Traffic Integration. Eurocontrol was also  invited to this important EU coordination mechanism which aims to align  workstreams in the regulatory, technical and standardisation domains with the overall objective of supporting the Accommodation of a European MALE-type RPAS in the 2020-2025 timeframe, with full integration as of 2025.

The coordination efforts are of particular importance given the limitations to use military RPAS in a non-segregated airspace as this harms the effectiveness of the systems.
 

Guidelines for the  accommodation of military IFR MALE type RPAS under GAT airspace classes A-C

Finally, EDA Chief Executive, Jorge Domecq and EASA Executive Director, Patrick Ky, presented the “Guidelines for the accommodation of military IFR MALE type RPAS under GAT airspace classes A-C”. This document is the result of a task force jointly launched and chaired by EASA and EDA, with valuable contributions from several representatives of military and civil organisations.

These guidelines propose a basis for Member States and their ANSPs to conduct their own safety assessment and to develop their operational procedures and processes in compliance with European ATM/ANS Regulation.

 

American M917 Dump Truck

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP