EDA News

Over 140 experts from 27 European countries and more than 30 different institutions and organisations participate in the Conference on the second Phase of the Consultation Forum for Sustainable Energy in the Defence and Security Sector (CF SEDSS II). The Forum brings together experts from the defence and energy sectors to share information and best practices on improving energy management, energy efficiency, the use of renewable energy as well as increasing the protection and resilience of defence energy-related critical infrastructures.

Managed by EDA, the Consultation Forum is a European Commission initiative (DG ENER) receiving funding under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 R&I programme. The   conference of today was officially opened by Mr Tomasz Zdzikot, Polish Deputy Minister of Defence. Jorge Domecq, the EDA Chief Executive highlighted in his speech the “large number of participants which send the strong message that sustainable energy matters for defence, and a greener defence energy matters for the European Union”.

Mr Hans Van Steen, Acting Director for Renewables, Research and Innovation, Energy Efficiency, DG ENER, European Commission, underlined the importance of having seen “a network develop, information being exchanged, best practices being shared, and capacity, trust and self-confidence grow”.

The Consultation Forum provides a unique platform that can assist the Ministries of Defence of the EU Member States to generate ideas for defence energy policies, strategies, action plans and defence energy-related project ideas. This process will enable them to move towards a more sustainable energy model bringing down energy bills that can be allocated to other military priorities. In this respect, the second phase is more project-oriented, and as the Chief Executive underlined, it “presents a financial and strategic opportunity to improve energy efficiency and to diversify the energy supply and enhance resilience to security challenges”. Mr Hans Van Steen drew the participants’ attention to the fact that “At a time of tight defence budgets, the Defence and Security sector cannot afford to ignore the opportunities that a state-of-the-art approach to energy efficiency and renewable energy sources offer in terms of economic advantages, security of supply and environmental impact”. He then added that, in this context, “It is very important that the Defence community has a clear understanding of how the new EU legislation on energy could affect its work. The Energy Union Framework Strategy is not only about energy and climate: it is part of a wider policy aimed at accelerating the fundamental modernisation of Europe's entire economy, making it low-carbon and energy and resource efficient, by transforming the whole energy system in a socially fair manner.“

The Warsaw Conference focusses on a range of financing and funding options, coming either from the national public sector or the European Union instruments. To support this process, the Chief Executive has launched today the European Funding Gateway for Energy in Defence, a dedicated web-page on the EDA website. Through this instrument, he encourages the participants to explore what is “an overview of the financing and funding opportunities that the defence sector, and the Ministries of Defence and Armed Forces, industry, research and technology organisations or academia, can access at the European level for energy-related projects”.

The Conference will last two days and address several topics ranging from energy data in defence, energy metering & data collection, energy performance contracts, RES projects including energy storage to critical energy infrastructure resilience and energy-related legislation.
 

The third Conference of the Consultation Forum will be hosted by the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Cyprus and will take place in Nicosia on 26 and 27 February 2019.
 

The Consultation Forum for Sustainable Energy in the Defence and Security Sector (CF SEDSS) is a European Commission initiative managed by the EDA. It aims at bringing together experts from the defence and energy sectors to share information and best practices on improving energy management, energy efficiency, the use of renewable energy as well increasing the protection and resilience of defence energy-related critical infrastructures. On 20 October 2017, the second phase of the Consultation Forum (CF SEDSS II) was launched. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, and the agreement is between the EASME executive agency and the EDA. The contract was signed on 16 October 2017 for 22 months, expiring on August 2019. 
Based on the foundations laid during the first phase of the Consultation Forum (2015-2017), the second phase has been further expanded to cover the following interrelated subjects though three main working groups (including sub-working groups): WG 1: Energy Management including Energy Efficiency (Sub-WG1: Energy Management and Sub-WG2: Energy Efficiency; WG 2: Renewable Energy Sources and Technologies; WG 3: Protection of Critical Energy Infrastructure and one cross-cutting theme: Finance.

• About CF SEDSS II at https://www.eda.europa.eu/european-defence-energy-network/cf-sedss-phase-ii
• European Funding Gateway for Energy in Defence at www.eda.europa.eu/eufunding/energy 
• Speech, EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq

The European Defence Agency (EDA) is actively participating in the 13th Air Navigation Conference of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), under the umbrella of the European Commission Directorate General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE). The agenda of the conference themed 'From Development to Implementation' includes a topic on civil-military cooperation. The EDA plays a key role in this domain and at EU level, to facilitate the coordination of military views and act as interface between the Military community and the EU institutions. As a result, EDA coordinated the development of the working paper proposed by the EU on this topic.

ICAO Member States and aviation stakeholders attend the conference to exchange on global strategies for safety and air navigation planning, development and implementation. As part of the European Union delegation mandated by Violeta Bulc, European Commissioner for Mobility and Transport, Mr Christophe Vivier, Head of Unit SES/SEAR, and Mr Denis Bouvier, Project Officer SES Policy, will participate on behalf of the EDA.

This year’s conference focuses on the implementation of operational improvements from the conceptual phase until deployment. It emphasizes the importance of concepts for global use, the development of regional implementation plans and the local implementation of performance improvements, based on specific operational requirements in a cost-effective approach. Participants will establish priorities for safety and air navigation planning for the coming years and develop a set of high-level recommendations in different key performance areas of the air navigation system, to be submitted to the ICAO Council for subsequent endorsement by the 40th Session of the ICAO Assembly in 2019.

In close collaboration with the European Commission Directorate General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE) the Agency contributes to technical discussions on civil-military cooperation and coordinates the European Union’s military inputs towards it. Civil-military cooperation is necessary to enhance Air Traffic Management (ATM) as well as communication, navigation and surveillance (CNS), and to create a safe and more interoperable airspace. Its goal is to move from coordination to collaboration and from ATM research and development to implementation.

This contribution from the EDA reflects the strong collaboration links forged with DG MOVE regarding the military side of the SES/SESAR operations. The overall objective is to ensure that a modernised aviation system will accommodate the needs of all stakeholders, including the military, for operations and training, all types of platforms (manned and unmanned) and all types of missions, roles and applications, in a balanced and proportioned way, in peace time and in crisis situations.

In preparation for this important event, the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) set up an ad-hoc ECAC/EU coordination group for safety and ATM in which the EDA was represented. This group, co-chaired by the European Commission and by ECAC, has been tasked to steer the preparation of draft ‘European Working and Information Papers’ to be presented at AN-Conf/13.

Regarding Civil-Military cooperation, the AN-Conf/13 will be invited to agree on four recommendations:

1. Urge States to agree with the strategic approach moving from civil-military coordination to collaboration.
2. Request ICAO to provide appropriate guidelines on the strategic approach.
3. Encourage ICAO to develop together with States mechanisms to collaborate with the military community at global and regional levels.
4. Request ICAO to reinforce the development of civil-military synergies thanks to an effective collaboration starting from research and development to deployment of interoperable systems.

The final report will be available in two weeks.
 

• ICAO website
• Committee A - Agenda Item 3: Enhancing the global air navigation system (video)

The European Union’s ERASMUS+ programme, funded by the European Commission to support education and training, has awarded €3 million for a transnational advanced Master course relevant to defence called EMIMEO: 'Erasmus Mundus on Innovative Microwave Electronics and Optics'.
 
EDA contributed with data analysis to the application which was put forward by a consortium led by the Université de Limoges in France to access ERASMUS+ funding. 

EDA’s support to EMIMEO is justified by the fact that it addresses analog RF Photonics and Microwaves which are in the critical defence technologies list and also part of the Capability Development Plan (CDP) where they are considered as enablers for advanced radars and electronic warfare systems. The European defence industry and research institutes are looking for engineers and researchers with skills and competences in this complex field.

Under its activities related to Key Strategic Activities (KSA) in defence meant to identify key domains for European strategic autonomy, EDA has selected the area of RF Photonics as a relevant sample case. The EMIMEO Master course will contribute to support European skills and competencies in this domain, as well as the competitiveness and non-dependence of the European high-tech industry (including defence and space) in the development of Photonics and Microwave applications.
 
The international partnership (encompassing industry, universities and associations in 6 Member States) includes the following participants:

• Università di Brescia (Italy), Universidad Del Pais Vasco/ Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (Spain), Aston University (United Kingdom), Universitatea Tehnica Cluj-Napoca (Romania);
• Altran Italia SpA and Hitachi Rail Italy SpA in Italy;
• GMV Aerospace and Defence SA, and TTI Norte SL in Spain;
• Oclaro Technology Ltd in United Kingdom;
• European Microwave Association in Belgium;
• Alcatel-Lucent International Sas, Amcad Engineering, Competitiveness cluster Alpha-RLH, Callisto France, III-V Lab, Inoveos, NOKIA, CNES, Thales Alenia Space France, Thales SA and United Monolithic Semiconductors SAS, Zodiac Aerospace  in France.

This successful case is another example of the importance of ensuring consistency and coherence between European defence priorities and EU funding opportunities. Against this backdrop, EDA will continue to serve its Member States' Ministries of Defence, research centres, universities and industries in an integrated manner on all relevant dimensions: R&T, key skills and competencies, industrial supply-chain.
 

• Capability Development Plan (CDP)
• Key Strategic Activities in Defence (KSA)
• CapTech Technologies for Components and Modules
• European Funding Gateway for Defence
• Erasmus+ for Defence.

Picture: Bundesheer/Daniel Trippolt

A high-level EU conference on ‘The European Defence Fund (EDF) – Driving factor for defence research and innovation’ took place today in Vienna. The event, which gathered some 500 defence policy makers, industry representatives, researchers and other stakeholders, was organized by the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the European Union with the support of European Commission and the European Defence Agency (EDA). 

The conference was opened by Austria’s Defence Minister Mario Kunasek, followed by video messages delivered by European Commission Vice-President Jyrki Katainen and Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska (Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship & SMEs). Key note speeches were delivered by European Parliament Vice President and rapporteur on the European Defence Fund), Prof. Zdzisław Krasnodębski, EU Military Committee Chairman General Mikhail Kostarakos, as well as EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq.  Successive panels then analysed and debated the European Commission’s EDF proposal, the interaction and consistency between research and capability development, as well as the future design of financial instruments tailored for the needs and challenges of the European defence sector. EDA Deputy Chief Executive Olli Ruutu and EDA’s European Synergies & Innovation (ESI) Director, Denis Roger, were among the panelists participating in these debates. 

In his opening speech, Minister Kunasek stressed the importance for Europe to have an “innovative and competitive European defence industry”. “We therefore require new ways of cooperation between Armed Forces, entreprises, industry and the research community in order to find scientific, technological and capability-based solutions, and to activate value chains that help us strengthen our security and defence competence”, he stated.  

EDA Chief Executive Domecq, in his speech, insisted on the need to ensure coherence and consistency between the EDF and the other EU defence initiatives, especially the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD) and the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). On top of that, the baseline for all three initiatives should be the 2018 Capability Development Plan (CDP). “Even if we ensure that all three initiatives – CARD, PESCO, EDF - are smoothly coordinated and harmonised, there is one element which is indispensable for coherent capability development at European level, and that is common priority setting, which must be the baseline for CARD, PESCO and EDF”, he said.

In the research domain, common priority setting is ensured by the Overarching Strategic Research Agenda (OSRA) which links capability priorities and defence research activities. “What the CDP is for capability development, the OSRA is for research. Before the end of the year, we will, for the first time, have adopted agreed research priorities stemming from the CDP 2018, that can be used for not only ad-hoc research activities among Member States but also for the Research Window of the EDF projects and other funding instruments such as H2020, Horizon Europe, ESIF, COSME, and more”, Mr Domecq announced.

It is important that the EDF takes into account the experiences from the EDIDP discussions, as well as the lessons learned from the implementation of the Preparatory Action on Defence Research and the previous Pilot Project, the EDA Chief Executive said.  If the Defence Fund is capability driven, focused on the agreed priorities and coherent with the other defence initiatives, “then it has a great potential added value in the development of European defence capabilities and incentivizing cooperation”, Mr Domecq concluded.
 

• Conference website

EDA’s 2018 Military Airworthiness Conference, organised in Madrid with the support of the Dirección General de Armamento y Material (DGAM) of the Spanish Ministry of Defence, was opened on 26 September by EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq.

The two-day event brings together key stakeholders from national authorities, industry, European agencies and international organisations, to exchange views and best practices related to the harmonisation of European military airworthiness rules and standards. Common airworthiness approaches and standards are viewed as critical enablers for enhanced European defence cooperation. 

In his opening speech, EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq thanked the Spanish authorities for hosting the event and for their strong support and involvement in the MAWA Forum. He recalled the creation of the Forum 10 years ago and stressed that since then, a comprehensive set of European Military Airworthiness Requirements (EMARs) was developed and implemented by Member States. 

“Although the levels of EMAR-implementation vary from country to country, based on this harmonised approach a total of 40 recognitions between military airworthiness authorities have been signed in the last five years and are now viewed as cornerstones for the structural cooperation between authorities. I would call this a remarkable result”, Mr Domecq stated.

In addition, the MAWA initiative is getting stronger attention outside Europe, on a global level. “Several non-EDA participating nations (e.g Norway, Denmark, Switzerland and Australia) have embraced the same approach, are in the process of implementing EMAR’s in their national systems and are engaged in mutual recognitions with National Military Airworthiness Authorities”, he said.

Furthermore, Member States are now acknowledging that harmonised safety requirements are beneficial for everyone, even beyond the airworthiness domain. “As a result, Member States have tasked EDA to develop a proposal for the progressive introduction of a Total System Approach to Military Aviation on the basis of two pilot projects, notably RPAS and military transport aircraft. This proposal, that should give a new impetus to the harmonisation of safety requirements in military aviation, will be presented to Member States at the end of this year”, the EDA Chief Executive announced. 

He also stressed the “outstanding cooperative relationship with NATO” in the area of military aviation. 
 

The Military Airworthiness Authorities (MAWA) Forum oversees the development and maintenance of the European Military Airworthiness Requirements (EMARs) and promotes ways and means to harmonise the military airworthiness oversight across Europe. 

A central theme of this year’s conference is the implementation of a new airworthiness roadmap as a next step in the progressive alignment of airworthiness approaches in Europe. In this context, participants exchange views on the impact the EMARs have had so far, both on the regulated community and the military airworthiness authorities. The conference also addresses the challenges of transitioning towards EMAR-based regulations in the coming years. Other topics on the agenda are the evolution of the cooperation framework between national military airworthiness authorities, as well as global developments.

Jorge Domecq, the EDA Chief Executive, met today in Madrid with the Spanish Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles Fernández. He also had talks with the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Fernando Alejandre Martinez, the Secretary of State for Defence, Ángel Olivares Ramírez, the Secretary General Defence Policy, Juan Francisco Martínez Nuñez, the Defence Policy Director, María Elena Gómez Castro, as well as with the National Armament Director, Santiago Ramón González Gómez. Mr Domecq also met with representatives from the Spanish defence industry.

The main topics discussed during these meetings included the current state of play and way ahead in the implementation of the various EU defence initiatives (PESCO, CARD, EDF), the recently revised EU Capability Development Priorities, Spain’s current and potential future contributions to EDA projects and programmes, the implications of the Agency’s recent Long-Term Review (LTR) as well as the EU-NATO relations.

“It’s crucial to ensure that the various EU defence initiatives – the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD), the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) and the European Defence Fund (EDF) - are all implemented in a coherent and coordinated manner, based on the revised EU Capability Development Priorities and in full transparency and complementarity with NATO”, Mr Domecq stated.

Tomorrow (26 September), Mr Domecq will attend the opening of EDA’s 2018 Military Airworthiness Conference in Madrid, organised with the support of the Dirección General de Armamento y Material (DGAM) of the Spanish Ministry of Defence. 

EDA has issued a call for applications from parties interested in participating in the second edition of the ‘EDA Defence Innovation Prize’ contest rewarding companies and research entities who come up with innovative and ground-breaking technologies, products, processes or services applicable in the defence domain.  The topic chosen for this second prize is: Innovative Defence Applications using 5G and Internet of Things (IoT). The winning idea/concept will be worth 30,000€.

The Internet of Things (IoT), the extension of internet connections beyond computers and communication system to everyday objects as well as its myriad of applications are increasingly driving innovation. Furthermore, as the 5th generation of wireless system communications (5G) is in the starting blocks and most experts anticipate that it will revolutionize day-to-day life in a way similar to what the 3G did in the past.   
Even though civil applications and commercial producers are the main drivers behind the IoT and 5G technological (r)evolution, MoDs and Armed Forces cannot and will not ignore the potential benefits of using these technologies to improve European defence capabilities. Against this backdrop, contesters for this 2nd EDA Defence Innovation Prize are expected to propose ideas or concepts which, if implemented between now and 2035, would help improve and enhance specific EU defence capabilities.  No specific defence background is required to participate in the contest which is open to innovators from ALL types of industries and research institutions in Europe: defence & civil/commercial producers, large companies & SMEs, defence-related & civil research communities. Applications from dual-use and civil/commercial innovators and researchers are even particularly encouraged. 

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

Deadline for submissions: 2 November 2018 (5pm Brussels time).

Information on how to apply can be found in the contest documentation under the link above. 

The prize winners will be notified not later than early 2019. 

An EDA Defence Innovation Prize award ceremony is scheduled to take place 2019 in Brussels.
 

 The winner of the first edition, launched last February, will be announced in the coming weeks. The award ceremony will take place in the margins EDA’s Annual Conference in Brussels on 29 November.
 

• Call for applications
• EDA Defence Innovation Prize webpage

End of last week (20/21 September), a ‘clarification workshop’ at expert level was organized by the PESCO Secretariat at the EDA with the aim of facilitating an exchange of information between the PESCO participating Member States and to provide details on the 33 new project proposals put forward by them as part of the second project assessment and selection round currently underway. 

The workshop was chaired by the PESCO Secretariat made up by the European External Action Service (EEAS), including the EU Military Staff (EUMS), and the EDA. It had three main objectives: 

• to develop a common understanding on the second batch of PESCO project proposals at expert level;
• to serve as a ‘clearing house’ on potential synergies and similarities between project proposals and to identify and map expressions of interest by participating Member States for individual PESCO project proposals;
• to provide an overview on PESCO and the way ahead, including on a state of play of the first batch of 17 PESCO projects adopted by the EU Council of Ministers on 6 March 2018. 

In view of developing a second batch of PESCO projects, participating Member States were invited to submit their project proposals to the PESCO secretariat by end of last July.  The PESCO Secretariat has already conducted an assessment of the projects which was shared with the participating Member States before the clarification workshop. A final decision by PESCO participating Member States on which of these projects will be part of the second batch of PESCO projects will be taken later this year.
 

• EEAS factsheet on PESCO
• EDA info page on PESCO
• Council decision of 25 June 2018 establishing a common set of governance rules for PESCO projects
• Council decision of 6 March 2018 establishing the list of projects to be developed under PESCO

Jorge Domecq, the Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency (EDA), today attended the 20th birthday ceremony of the Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d'Armement (OCCAR) in its new premises in Bonn. At that occasion, he welcomed the close and productive working relationship established between the EDA and OCCAR on the basis of the Administrative Arrangement signed in July 2012 and called for an even stronger cooperation in the future to bring forward potential new collaborative defence equipment programmes, also in view of the opportunities that the recent EU defence initiatives provide. 

“I am very glad to be here today on the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of OCCAR. Since 2012, EDA and OCCAR have established close relations which are continuously evolving, aiming to complement each other’s strengths in promoting effective defence cooperation while ensuring through-life capability development”, Mr Domecq stated.

The close relationship between the two organisations started immediately after the creation of the EDA in 2004 but gathered additional momentum in November 2008 when the EU Council of Ministers invited the EDA to seek the “greatest synergy” with OCCAR and to conclude an Administrative Arrangement (AA), which was subsequently negotiated and signed in 2012. It foresees that both cooperate in a way that is “mutually reinforcing, non-duplicative, coherent and complementary” in order to enhance Europe’s defence capabilities, improve European armaments cooperation and strengthen the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB). The conclusions and recommendations of EDA’s Long Term Review (LTR), approved by Defence Ministers in May 2017, explicitly acknowledge “the potential of the EDA-OCCAR relations to further evolve into a more structured and reciprocal approach towards key European capability programmes, ensuring seamless coordination and coherence between both organisations”. 
 

While EDA main role is to initiate and facilitate European collaborative defence capability ad hoc projects and programmes, OCCAR’s provides for cooperative programme management expertise. Close cooperation between EDA and OCCAR ensures through-life managementon capability development. This division of labour proved successful, for example, in the development of the Multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport Fleet (MMF) in which participate five countries (NL, LUX, DE, NOR, BE) and whose aim is to mitigate Europe’s shortfall in Air-to-Air refueling capabilities. Initiated by the EDA in 2012, it was later handed over to OCCAR who currently manages the acquisition of MRTT tankers on behalf of the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) which, following the acquisition phase, will be responsible for the complete life-cycle management of the fleet.  Other example: the Medium Altitude Long Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (MALE RPAS) programme. Launched in an EDA framework in 2013, it was taken up by four Member States (DE, FR, IT, ES) before being handed over to OCCAR in 2016 for further development (definition, configuration, etc.) while EDA continues to provide support to the programme upon its expertise. Indeed, in September 2016, EDA and OCCAR concluded an arrangement under which EDA will continue to provide support to the MALE RPAS programme in the field of air traffic integration building on the work already achieved and on the on-going activities related to the integration of military RPAS in the Single European Sky approach. 
 

OCCAR was initially established by an Administrative Arrangement signed by the Defence Ministers of France, Germany, Italy and the UK on 12 November 1996. In 1998, the Defence Ministers of the four founding Member States signed the treaty-like "OCCAR Convention", which was subsequently ratified by the national Parliaments and came into force on 28th January 2001. The Convention gives OCCAR its legal status, allowing it to award contracts and to employ its own staff. Belgium and Spain joined OCCAR respectively in 2003 and 2005.
 

• EDA-OCCAR Administrative Agreement 
• OCCAR website

EDA’s Cyber Ranges Federation project, in which 11 Member States will federate their national cyber ranges and improve their respective Cyber Defence training capabilities, reached an important milestone with the completion of its first development phase (‘Spiral one’). With several EU Member States developing their own national cyber ranges, this project aims at developing a system to interconnect and federate them into a highly effective European network that benefits from the strengths of each participant. 

The objective is to develop a more sophisticated and powerful platform enabling exercise and training planners to design more realistic scenarios relying on existing and interconnected capabilities. At the same time, it will allow users to improve their Cyber Defence skills by relying on an extremely effective environment. In addition to training and exercise support, the federated capability will also be beneficial for other activities such as research, modelling, simulation and testing. The sharing of knowledge and best practices is another objective of the project. 

The Cyber Ranges Federation will be supported by a web-based Cyber Defence Training and Exercise Coordination Platform (CD TEXP), an EDA product currently in a test phase, whose capabilities will be extended to support the project. The EDA also provides expertise and support in Cyber Defence and other areas.

The first phase of the project, led by The Netherlands, was focused on developing formal requirements and a draft high level technical architecture to interconnect national cyber ranges. The requirements were produced leveraging knowledge and experience from all participant Member States, including military and academia representatives. NATO was involved in the first phase as an observer. In light of the 2016 EU-NATO Joint Declaration, additional ways for cooperation and coordination with NATO’s own capabilities will also be investigated by the project team in the next phase.
 

The second phase of the project (‘Spiral two’), led by Finland, kicked off on 5 September 2018 at a meeting in Helsinki (picture above). It will mainly focus on taking up the afore-mentioned requirements and implement them. The outcome will include the creation of a Community of Interest in which Cyber Defence training and exercise specialists will collaborate and improve the pooling & sharing of resources in this highly demanding domain. 

Earlier this year, six Member States signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) confirming their intent to contribute with their respective cyber range assets to the project; other Member States are expected to join the MoU before end of 2018.
 

The success of military operations, including EU-led operations, is increasingly dependent on the availability of, and access to, cyberspace. The EU Cyber Security Strategy 2013 recognizes Cyber Defence as one of the strategic priorities of the EU and Heads of State and Governments decided in December 2013 that Cyber Defence should be one of four key areas for capability development.  An essential element of EU cyber defence capability is highly skilled and well-trained personnel. Enhancing awareness and education of technicians, operators and decision-makers is urgent. Cyber ranges to support training and exercises are both essential and scarce. In the 2014 Capability Development Plan, the scarceness of cyber range facilities in support of Training and Exercises was recognized as an important capability gap that urgently needs resolution. The now established project serves to close this capability gap. Pooling & Sharing projects are an integral means for closing capability gaps in the cyber domain.
 

• Six Member States agree to pool & share cyber ranges capabilities (EDA news June 2018)
• Cyber Ranges: EDA’s First Ever Cyber Defence Pooling & Sharing Project Launched By 11 Member States (EDA news May 2017)
• EDA Cyber Defence project page
• EDA Cyber Defence factsheet

Some 200 experts, stakeholders, industry representatives and political/military decision-makers from the European, transatlantic and international Air-to-Air Refueling (AAR) community gathered today in Brussels for the 1st AAR Conference in Europe organized by the European Defence Agency (EDA).

The event was opened with speeches and presentations by the Belgian Minister of Defence, Steven Vandeput,  the Assistant Secretary General for NATO Defence investments, Camille Grand, the chairman of the Aerial Refueling Systems Advisory Group (ARSAG), General John Sams, as well as the EDA Chief Executive, Jorge Domecq. Subsequent high-level speakers included the Commander of the European Tactical Airlift Centre (ETAC), Maj. Gen. Laurent Marboeuf, the Mobilization Assistant to the Commander US Air Forces in Europe, Maj. Gen. John B.Williams, the Director of the Dutch Military Aviation Authority, Cdre. Jean-Paul Apon, the Chairman of the Multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport Fleet (MMF), Cdr. Dick Kreiter, NATO Director Armament & Aerospace Capabilities (Defence Investment Division), Dr Giorgio Cioni, General Vincenzo Camporini from the Instituto Affari Internazionali as well as EDA Capability, Armament and Technology (CAT) Director, Martin Konertz.

The conference discussed the current state of play (notably Europe’s shortfall in this domain) as well as the future opportunities and challenges of Air-to-Air Refuelling from a European, transatlantic and international perspective. In successive sessions and panels, the political, operational and regulatory aspects and problems were analysed and possible solutions discussed.    

In his speech, EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq praised AAR as a domain in which Europe is catching up on its shortfall in full complementarity with NATO. Even though Europe is still heavily dependent on US AAR assets, “it is slowly but surely catching up thanks to national and multinational Air-to-Air Refuelling initiatives which aim to develop a future capability that meets our operational requirements”, Mr Domecq said. The aim is not to duplicate NATO efforts but for Europe to be able to act and to become credible partners, he stressed. “I very much welcome our NATO partners to this conference. The work we do together in AAR is exemplary for how we promote close EU-NATO cooperation. The joint political commitment complemented by the excellent staff-to-staff cooperation led to a synchronized and harmonized approach towards dealing with the AAR shortfall, both on the NATO and EU side”. The EDA’s AAR activities are fully synchronized with the NATO’s roadmap on AAR improvements. “This prevents unnecessary duplication but more important creates opportunities for more collaboration (…) By increasing the European AAR capability, the participating nations also strive to meet their NATO Defence Planning Process (NDPP) targets”, Mr Domecq stated. “The MMF is a perfect example on how to get from the shortfall to a capability”.
 

Conference participants widely agreed that considerable work still lies ahead as Europe’s remaining 30% AAR shortfall, especially during operations, cannot be fixed overnight. Discussions pointed at a variety of complementary steps that should be taken to fill the gap in the comping years, in particular:

• promote and further expand the Multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport Fleet (MMF) beyond the five current participating countries (Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Norway, Belgium). To date, the fleet has ordered eight A330 MRTT aircraft the delivery of which is expected between 2020 and 2022. There are currently three options for additional aircraft in place (potential increase to 11 aircraft in total);
• encourage European countries with national AAR programmes in place to procure more assets, especially Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft;
• increase the procurement of A-400M wing pods to be pooled and shared;
• improve the standardization and streamlining of the international tanker clearance process.
  
  

In December 2013, EU Heads of State and Government acknowledged AAR as a key capability shortfall and tasked the EDA to work on it. AAR subsequently became one of the Agency’s Key Capability Programmes and the subject of an EDA Pooling and Sharing initiative which eventually led to the creation of a Multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport Fleet (MMF). OCCAR, Europe’s organization for the management of cooperative armament programmes, manages the MMF acquisition phase whereas the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) will be responsible for the complete life-cycle management of the fleet (A330 MRTT). The fleet is funded by the participating nations who will also have the exclusive right to use these NATO–owned aircraft which will operate in a pooling arrangement. The aircraft will be configured for inflight refuelling, the transport of passengers and cargo, and medical evacuation flights.
 

• Jorge Domecq speech at AAR Conference
• Speech Belgian Defence Minister Steven Vandeput
• Speech NATO ASG DI Camille Grand
• EDA AAR project page  

A delegation from the SEDE Subcommittee of the European Parliament, led by Chair Anna Elżbieta Fotyga, visited the EDA today for an exchange of views on a wide variety of defence topics such as the recent EU defence initiatives (CARD, PESCO, EDF), the reviewed European capability development priorities, military mobility, defence research and EU-NATO relations. They were briefed by EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq, Deputy Chief Executive Olli Ruutu as well as the Director for Cooperation, Planning & Support (CPS), Roland Van Reybroeck.

Welcoming the MEPs to the Agency, Chief Executive Jorge Domecq stressed the importance of the European Parliament in the implementation of the new EU defence initiatives set to bring defence cooperation to a new level. “The European Parliament will be a crucial actor in this process. The importance of your voice in calling and advocating for more defence cooperation, including with the support by for example the European Defence Fund is unquestioned. In the future, with the increased involvement of EU institutions, the Parliament will further be among the key players of European defence”, he stated.

The Chair of SEDE, Anna Elżbieta Fotyga, stated: "We appreciate the extremely interesting and informative briefings on the development of the EU's security and defence policy. The discussions today made clear the progress that is being made and the SEDE subcommittee will cooperate with the EDA on this topic. Our main concern over the next months will be the European Defence Fund, a primary component of this new architecture, and the discussions today will certainly inform the committee's work."

The session started with a strategic discussion on the wider cooperation framework for defence cooperation and the need to ensure coherence between the new initiatives (CARD, PESCO, EDF) in line with the capability development priorities agreed by Member States. “The overall objective of all of these initiatives must be to produce defence capabilities that are currently lacking and that we truly need, at a European level. Not capabilities needed by one or the other Member State, but capabilities that are needed by Europe as a whole to perform the taskings deriving from its Global Strategy”, Mr Domecq underlined.  

MEPs were also updated on the revised Capability Development Plan (CDP) and the 11 capability development priorities which were approved by Member States last June. The various presentations were followed by a lively and interesting exchange of views on a wide variety of topics, including EU-NATO cooperation. 

The SEDE delegation was composed by the following MEPs: Anna Elzbieta FOTYGA (ECR), Michael GAHLER (EPP), Clare MOODY (S&D), Brando BENIFEI (S&D), Geoffrey VAN ORDEN (ECR), Javier NART (ALDE), Jozo RADOS (ECR), Fabio Massimo CASTALDO (EFDD), Doru-Claudian FRUNZULICA (SD). 

Jorge Domecq, the EDA Chief Executive, made a two-days working visit (2-3 September) to Romania where he had talks with the Minister of Defence, Mr. Mihai-Viorel Fifor, the State-Secretary for Defence Policy, Planning and International Relations, Mr Mircea Dusa, the State Secretary for Armaments, Mr Andrei Ignat, the State Secretary responsible for the defence industry, Mr Ion Radu, the State Secretary responsible for European Affairs, Mr Calin Bodea, as well as the General Director and Policy Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Stefan Tinca. He also had a meeting with the Executive Manager of Romania’s National Defence Industry Association (NDIA), Mr. Viorel Manole.

The main topics raised during these talks included the implementation of the various new EU defence initiatives (PESCO, CARD, EDF), the recently revised EU Capability Development Priorities, Romania’s current and potential future contributions to EDA projects and programmes, the implications of the Agency’s recent Long Term Review (LTR) as well as the EU-NATO relations. “It’s crucial to ensure the various EU defence initiatives are implemented in a coherent and coordinated manner, based on jointly agreed capability development priorities and in full transparency and complementarity with NATO”, Mr Domecq stressed. 

The defence-related priorities and events of the upcoming Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU (first half of 2019) were also discussed. In June 2019, Romania will host the 4th and last conference of the second phase of the Consultation Forum for Sustainable Energy in the Defence and Security Sector – Phase II (CF SEDSS II) in Bucharest.  Furthermore, the EDA intends to organize a defence R&T conference in Bucharest in March 2019.  “I very much appreciate Romania’s strong support of the EDA and look forward to working closely with Romania as it prepares to take over the Presidency of the EU Council”, Mr Domecq stated.

Following consultations with Member States, Federica Mogherini, the Head of the European Defence Agency (EDA), has appointed three new chairs for the EDA Steering Boards in R&T Directors, National Armaments Directors and Capability Directors compositions, with effect from 1 December 2018:

• R&T Directors: Dr Luisa Riccardi (Italy)
• National Armaments Directors: Deputy Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov (Bulgaria)
• Capability Directors: Major General Eric Schevenhoven (The Netherlands)

“I thank the outgoing chairmen - Deputy Minister Daniel Koštoval, Lt Gen Erhard Bühler and Dr Bryan Wells - for their commitment and outstanding work delivered over the past three years in these important positions”, Jorge Domecq, the EDA Chief Executive, stated. “I am sure that with their vast professional experience and personal qualities, the incoming chairs will continue on this path and be excellent chairpersons. Presiding over the Steering Boards at the level of R&T Directors, National Armaments Directors, and Capability Directors, both the outgoing and incoming chairpersons play key roles in supporting the EDA in the definition and implementation of the latest EU defence initiatives, especially the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD), the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) and the European Defence Fund (EDF).”

Dr Luisa Riccardi currently serves as a Technology Innovation Department Director at the Italian Ministry of Defence where she is responsible for the overall military research and technology development strategy plans and policies. She is also in charge of harmonizing the objectives set forth in the National Military Research Programme with the Italian National Research Plan and the country’s overall research and technology policy. Prior to her current assignment, Dr Riccardi served as the first Director of the newly established litigation Department of the Secretariat General of Defense/National Armaments Directorate in the Italian MoD.

Lieutenant General Atanas Zapryanov is Deputy Minister of Defence of Bulgaria. He previously held several important command and staff positions in the Signal Troops of the Bulgarian Army, among others platoon commander, company commander, deputy battalion commander, chief of staff and deputy commander of the 95th Signal regiment of the second army in Plovdiv, chief of staff, deputy director and director of the Signal Troops Directorate to the General Staff of the Bulgarian Army. He also served as a Deputy Chief of Staff of the Bulgarian Army for resources (until 2006), and as the military representative of the Chief of General Staff in NATO military committees and the European Union (until 2010).

Major General Eric Schevenhoven has been Director of Plans of the Defence Staff in the Dutch Ministry of Defence since 1 September 2015. In this position, he also fulfils the role of Dutch Capability Director for NATO and the EU and is a member of the Defence Research Council (RDO), the National Aviation and Aerospace Centre Advisory Council (NLR) and the Coastguard Council. Major General Schevenhoven started his military career in 1980 at the Royal Military Academy in Breda. During his career, he served among others as Deputy Director Governance in NATO's ISAF Headquarters in in Kabul /Afghanistan (2011-2012) and as National Deputy for the Netherlands in the Joint Strike Fighter Program Office in Washington D.C. (2007-2010).   

• EDA governance

EDA has opened a 2nd call for papers from defence industry, academia and research institutes on the topic of Remotely Piloted Air Systems (RPAS) in the context to the EDA Industry Exchange Platform on RPAS Air Traffic Integration (ATI).

The call focuses on RPAS ATI in European airspace in the timeframe 2025-2030 and aims at gathering industry proposals on new R&D and validation activities needed in the RPAS ATI domain in the following technical areas:

• Autonomy
• Secure Command and Control datalinks
• Detect and Avoid

The responses to this call for papers will drive the ideation of potential project proposals during the 2nd formal meeting of the EDA RPAS ATI Industry Exchange Platform which will take place at the EDA on 26 October 2018. They will also be used to update the RPAS ATI Industry Exchange Platform contributors list, in view of potentially inviting additional industry participants to this initiative.
 

• Download the call for papers here
• Send your completed files to cps@eda.europa.eu with a copy to juanignacio.delvalle@eda.europa.eu
• Deadline for submissions is 21 September 2018
   

The EDA RPAS ATI Industry Exchange Platform is part of EDA’s approach towards establishing a structured dialogue and enhanced engagement with industry based on a set of priority actions, as supported by the EDA Ministerial Steering Board on 18 May 2017. The initiative is in line with the coordinated approach amongst the main European stakeholders in Single European Sky.

The purpose of EDA RPAS ATI Industry Exchange Platform is:

• to establish a regular dialogue with industry on a key priority: MALE RPAS integration in the European ATM System in the 2025 – 2030 timeframe
• to share information on current R&D initiatives and strategies, also on industry side, in the RPAS ATI domain
• to identify technology gaps and solutions that can benefit both civil and military applications.

The outcome of EDA’s project on Additive Manufacturing (AM, better known as 3D printing), launched in 2016, is now available:  a report on the impact of AM on the defence and a video covering the various project activities.

The main objectives of EDA’s ’Additive Manufacturing Feasibility Study & Technology Demonstration’ project were to assess the areas where AM technologies can have a positive impact on defence capabilities and to demonstrate their feasibility.

The project, initiated in the framework of the CapTech Materials & Structures within the EDA Research & Technology domain, was organized around three work-strands: (i) a desktop study to place AM and its potential in a defence context, (ii) a technology demonstration of the feasibility of deploying these technologies in support of a military operation, (iii) an exhibition to senior military staff which took place in Spain in September 2017.

The ’Additive Manufacturing: State of the Art and Strategic Report’ describes the different additive manufacturing technologies and identifies existing capabilities in Europe. Issues related to a potential use of AM in defence, such as gaps in the value chain, IPRs (Intellectual/Industrial Property Rights), standardization and certification, test and evaluation, skills and education are also addressed, as well as an analysis of the future needs in these areas. Three value chains for implementation of AM in the most promising defence areas were developed, identifying the main limitations for AM implementation and providing solutions to overcome the existing barriers. EDA’s contractors for this project, the research centre Fundación Prodintec and defence company MBDA France, worked together to support the activities described and helped to strengthen the links between research activities, industrial development, and the armed forces.

The EDA Additive Manufacturing in Defence final video, also published today, summarizes the three work-strands of this innovative project.

• EDA’s “Additive Manufacturing Feasibility Study & Technology Demonstration” project page

The latest European Defence Matters magazine (issue N°15) is now available with a special focus on the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). 

DID YOU KNOW? The magazine is now also available ONLINE in a user-friendly, state of the art responsive lay-out and accessible via all your devices: smartphone, tablet or desktop! Check it out HERE 

Were there an ‘EU Acronym of the Year’ contest, PESCO would be well-positioned to grab the prize.  The Permanent Structured Cooperation established last December has become a familiar term beyond the military community, standing for a new determination to enhance European defence and reinvigorate EU integration as a whole. 

In the new issue (N°15) of European Defence Matters, we look at PESCO from various angles through inspiring contributions from key actors from the academic, defence-political and military-operational domains.  Among others, we give the floor to the Defence Political Directors of various Member States, to the EU Military Committee, as well as to the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the EU Military Staff (EUMS) who, together with EDA, form the PESCO Secretariat. Focusing on the Military Mobility project, we also talk to the Netherland’s Chief of Defence, Admiral Rob Bauer. 

Alessandro Profumo, CEO of Leonardo, is our guest at the ‘Industry Talk’ where he shares his views on topics such as the European defence industry, the recent EU defence initiatives and defence research. We also sit down with Krasimir Karakachanov, Bulgaria’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, to talk about the EU defence initiatives, EU-NATO cooperation and more. 

A meeting with Irish Lt Col Ray Lane, a (now retired) expert in Improvised Explosive Device Disposal, gives an insight into the C-IED domain where cooperation spearheaded by EDA produced remarkable results over the past 10 years. The Preparatory Action on Defence Research, helicopter exercise HOT BLADE 2018 and EDA’s Airworthiness, Standardisation & Certification Unit are other topics covered in the following pages. 
 

The new ONLINE format of European Defence Matters makes your reading experience even more comfortable:

• in addition to the print version, the online version occasionally offers expanded articles and supplementary pictures
• articles and pictures can be shared instantly via Twitter, LinkedIn and Email
• the magazine’s ‘Explore’ section allows you to easily access the European Defence Matters archive and revisit articles of previous editions
• by joining us via www.eda.europa.eu/webzine, you will have access to the latest issue and the possibility to navigate through the previous editions by using the ‘Explore’ function.
   

• European Defence Matters 15 (online version)
• European Defence Matters 15 (printable PDF version)

The EDA Single European Sky Military Aviation Board (ESMAB) met on 3 July at the EDA premises to discuss the challenges and opportunities related to the integration of military aviation into the “Digital European Sky”. 

This 5th ESMAB policy level meeting was attended by General Mikhail Kostarakos, Chairman of the EU Military Committee, Mr. Filip Cornelis, Aviation Director at the European Commission (DG MOVE), Mr. Eamonn Brennon, Director General of Eurocontrol, as well as representatives from a wide range of key aviation stakeholders, notably the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the SESAR Joint Undertaking (SJU), the SESAR Deployment Manager (SDM), NATO, the European Organisation for Civil Aviation Equipment (EUROCAE), the Performance Review Body (PRB) and the AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD). Also present were representatives from NATO and countries the Agency has concluded Administrative Agreements with. The ESMAB Policy Level is comprising Member States’ Military Aviation Authorities or equivalent.

The objective of the 5th ESMAB policy level meeting was to provide for informal high-level exchanges between the main civil and military actors involved in the implementation of Single European Sky with the following overarching theme “A new digital ATM system: which opportunities and which challenges ahead for Military Aviation?”.

This topic was addressed from 3 different perspectives:

• the first panel was dedicated to the potential opportunities offered by the digitalization in the operational domain, both on Civil and Military sides, with a specific focus on the optimization of the management and use of the Airspace and how Military Mission Effectiveness could be improved thanks to digitalization;
• the second panel aimed to identify how industry could support Civil & Military Aviation in facilitating operations in a digital Single European Sky, notably through dual use solutions;
• finally, the third panel pointed-out how an appropriate regulatory framework could contribute to maximizing the opportunities of digitalization while reducing taking into account contingencies and risks deriving from the use of new technologies and new devices.

In his opening speech, EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq welcomed that, thanks to the joint efforts of many stakeholders involved, “the military are now considered as a key partner in aviation and in single European Sky”, adding that “working closely with civil aviation stakeholders should allow the military to remain innovative, notably taking advantage of recent European security and defence initiatives such as CARD, PESCO and EDF”.
 

In the margins of the meeting, EDA Chief Jorge Domecq and Eurocontrol Director General Eamonn Brennon signed the 2019-2020 Work Programme for the two organisations’ joint activities on SES/SESAR. This document is updated every two years in the frame of the exchange of letters between EDA and EUROCONTROL in 2013 and 2014. It details the SES and SESAR related activities on which EUROCONTROL provides technical ATM expertise in support of EDA’s role to facilitate the coordination of military views and act as interface with EU institutions and related bodies.
 

• EDA in Single European Sky (project page)
• The Military In SES / SESAR

The EDA Steering Board in Capability Directors formation today endorsed the 2018 Capability Development Plan and approved the associated EU Capability Development Priorities as a key reference for Member States’ and EU’s capability development initiatives. The Plan and its Priorities will be instrumental in identifying future cooperative activities irrespective of the chosen cooperation framework, including under PESCO and the European Defence Fund (EDF).

“Since 2016, the European defence project has picked up speed. Based on the 2016 EU Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy, several initiatives have been launched to reinforce defence cooperation: the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD), the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), and the European Defence Fund (EDF). Today’s adopted EU Capability Development Priorities serve as their benchmark to ensure that their combined outcome will be a more coherent set of deployable, interoperable, sustainable capabilities and forces”, says Jorge Domecq, Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency (EDA).

The Capability Development Plan (CDP) provides a full capability picture that supports decision-making processes at EU and national level regarding military capability development, thus contributing to increased coherence between Member States’ defence planning. It addresses security and defence challenges from the perspective of European capability development, looks at the future operational environment and defines EU Capability Development Priorities agreed by Member States.

The revised 2018 CDP has been developed in the framework of the European Defence Agency (EDA) in close cooperation with Member States and reflects key contributions from the EU Military Committee and the EU Military Staff.

The CDP is a shared EU reference informing national capability planners on capability requirements over time. Member States’ defence planners are encouraged to use it to identify priorities for capability improvement and opportunities for cooperation.

One of the novelties of the 2018 CDP is that it considers evolutions in the wider European security and defence environment taking into account the necessity to counter hybrid threats and the adaptation to the new EU Level of Ambition agreed by Member States. The 2018 Plan also looks at the entire spectrum of capability development and underpins the identification of cooperative activities that can be implemented by Member States in the cooperation framework of their choice.

The 2018 CDP is output oriented and this will be further reinforced by the development of Strategic Context Cases as of the second half of 2018, with a view to support Member States in the implementation of the 2018 EU Capability Development Priorities.

Subsequently the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD) will help operationalising the CDP by reviewing Member States’ implementation of the 2018 EU Capability Development Priorities and by identifying additional opportunities for cooperation.

Finally, the coherence between capability, R&T and industrial domains will be reinforced by the interaction between the CDP, the Overarching Strategic Research Agenda, Key Strategic Activities and the engagement with industry.

The CDP includes a capability shortfalls analysis from the CSDP perspective, as well as lessons learned from recent operations provided by the EU Military Committee. The mid-term dimension assesses the potential for cooperation for each capability. The CDP finally offers an assessment of future trends (2035 and beyond) and needs for each capability by linking long-term technology trends to future capability requirements and related R&T needs as well as industrial perspectives.

Based on the identified trends, information gathered from Member States, the EU Military Committee and the EU Military Staff, a set of EU Capability Development Priorities were proposed by EDA and agreed by Member States. On the one hand, they address main capability shortfalls for deployed operations (land, maritime and air capabilities as well as logistic and medical support) with a reinforced focus on high-end warfare. On the other hand, they also cover other national focus areas, such as the adaptation of military capabilities required for territorial defence and security or cyber defence.

The 2018 EU Capability Development Priorities cover the following lines of action:

• Enabling capabilities for cyber responsive operations
• Space-based information and communication services
• Information superiority
• Ground combat capabilities
• Enhanced logistic and medical supporting capabilities
• Naval manoeuvrability
• Underwater control contributing to resilience at sea
• Air superiority
• Air mobility
• Integration of military air capabilities in a changing aviation sector
• Cross-domain capabilities contributing to achieve EU’s level of ambition

After today’s approval, EDA will start the preparatory work for the implementation of the 2018 Priorities, including through the elaboration of Strategic Context Cases. The Agency will also conduct bilateral training sessions with Member States in support of national defence planners as well as with the EU Military Staff, the European External Action Service and other stakeholders upon their request.

• Capability Development Plan Factsheet
• CDP capability trends 2035+

Today, six Member States (Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Germany and Latvia) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the pooling and sharing of their respective cyber ranges capabilities.  The signing, which took place at the EDA premises, is a first important outcome of EDA’s Cyber Ranges Federation Project launched in May 2017 in which a total of 11 EDA Member States participate. 

Cyber Ranges are key national facilities to develop and evaluate cyber defence capabilities and this MoU opens the way for the six MoU signatories to make their cyber ranges available for shared development activities and joint exercises by using the pooling and sharing arrangements developed through the EDA project. By doing so, the six countries not only bring into the Cyber Ranges Federation Project their cyber ranges assets but also their expertise and best practices in terms of cyber defence exercises and training. The MoU is therefore an important stepping stone on the path to enabling an effective sharing of cyber defence capabilities across the EU, and in line with the objectives of the EU’s Cyber Defence Policy Framework.

The MoU was signed by the Capability Directors of the six countries concerned:  Lt Gen Johann Luif (Austria), Maj Gen Philippe Boucke (Belgium), Ms. Tiina Uudeberg (Estonia), Lt. General Kim Jäämeri (Finland), Maj. Gen. Gerald Funke (Germany) and   Mr. Airis Rikveilis (Latvia). The ceremony was also attended by EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq.
 

• Cyber Ranges: EDA’s First Ever Cyber Defence Pooling & Sharing Project Launched By 11 Member States (EDA News, May 2017)
• Cyber Defence (EDA project page)
• Cyber Defence Factsheet