Berlin, 24 April 2018 – CP Thales Group

Four European Champions in the area of Defence Mission Systems intend to combine their unique and complementary capabilities to provide the MALE (Medium Altitude, Long Endurance) drone programme of France, Germany, Italy and Spain – designated European MALE RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft System) – with a future-proof ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance) function.

The companies Elettronica, Hensoldt, Indra and Thales signed a memorandum of agreement, in compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, confirming their common goal to offer a coherent ISTAR functional chain for the MALE RPAS comprising all elements from sensors and computing through data processing and communications. The team is open to cooperation with other companies.

The four companies will bring their longstanding experience and technology leadership in Defence electronics and mission systems into the joint approach, thereby substantially reducing the inherent risk of such challenging programme. This will safeguard the target-oriented implementation in time and cost while guaranteeing the growth potential required to address future tasks.

“The future operating environment of Air Forces will bring a variety of flying platforms into one force-multiplying network”, said Hensoldt-CEO Thomas Müller. “The close cooperation of the various platforms’ mission systems is paramount to leverage the advantage of such highly complex network. Therefore, the architecture of the new RPAS mission system must be in the hands of the subject-matter experts from the start, tailoring its development irrespective of single platform aspects.”

“Thales, Hensoldt, Elettronica and Indra, have big ambitions based on a shared vision of the digital transformation of their industries and customers. Thales will be using its expertise in Defence Mission Systems mastering four key digital technologies of Connectivity, Big Data, AI, and Cybersecurity. We offer our clients decisive technologies to take the best decision in real time.” said Patrice Caine, Chairman and CEO at Thales.

“We are building industrial cooperation in Europe and preparing for a future in which Defence investments will be mainly performed at European level. This alliance will pave the way for future large programmes currently being defined in Europe” said Ignacio Mataix, Executive Director at Indra.

“Our long term experience in collaboration programmes and our mindset will be beneficial in terms of risk reduction and full capability achievement. The teaming with our historical European partners will lead to a high level of success” said Enzo Benigni, Chairman and CEO of Elettronica.

The European MALE RPAS programme is managed by the European procurement agency OCCAR. A Definition Study contract was signed on 26 August 2016 with the European aircraft manufacturers Airbus Defence and Space, Dassault and Leonardo. The Development Phase is expected to be launched in 2019.

About Elettronica

Established in 1951, Elettronica has supplied electronic defence systems to the Armed Forces of 28 countries in five continents since its inception. The company designs, produces and fields a range of products that cover all aspects of Electronic Warfare: for naval, land, air and cyber environments and all Electronic Defence application segments in the radar bands, infrared and communications bands.

The company core business is concentrated on EW being active in international projects, the majority of which implemented through collaboration agreements and joint ventures, which ensure a direct presence in the various strategic markets.

The company is strongly projected into the future and responds to the significant changes in this sector, actively participating in major industrial European consortiums.

www.elettronicagroup.com

About Hensoldt

Hensoldt is a global pioneer of technology and innovation in the area of defence and security electronics. Headquartered in Munich, the company is a market leader in civilian and military sensor solutions, developing new products to counter evolving threats based on disruptive concepts in such fields as big data, robotics and cyber security. With a workforce of some 4,300 employees, Hensoldt generates revenues of more than 1 billion euros per year.

www.hensoldt.net

About Indra

Indra is a leading global consulting and technology company, and the technology partner for the core business operations of its clients' businesses throughout the world. It is one of the world's largest providers of proprietary solutions in specific segments of the Transport and Defense markets and a bellwether in Information Technology in Spain and Latin America. The company provides a comprehensive range of high added-value proprietary solutions and cutting-edge services in technology, and a singular culture of reliability, flexibility and adaptability to the needs of its customers. Indra is a world leader in developing end-to-end technology solutions in fields such as Defense and Security, Transport and Traffic, Energy and Industry, Telecommunications and Media, Financial Services, Electoral Processes, and Public Administrations and Healthcare. Its Minsait unit addresses the challenges posed by digital transformation. In 2017 Indra posted a revenue of €3.011 billion, employed 40,000 professionals, and had a local presence in 46 countries with sales operations in over 140 countries.

www.indracompany.com

About Thales

The people we all rely on to make the world go round – they rely on Thales.

Our customers come to us with big ambitions: to make life better, to keep us safer. Combining a unique diversity of expertise, talents and cultures, our architects design and deliver extraordinary high technology solutions. Solutions that make tomorrow possible, today. From the bottom of the oceans to the depth of space and cyberspace, we help our customers think smarter and act faster - mastering ever greater complexity and every decisive moment along the way. With 65,000 employees in 56 countries, Thales reported sales of €15.8 billion in 2017.

www.thalesgroup.com

12 oct. 2015 Ministère de la Défense

Brussels - 11 September, 2015 European Defence Agency
 

The MIDCAS (Mid Air Collision Avoidance System) consortium together with the European Defence Agency (EDA) announced the final results of the MIDCAS project at the final stakeholder workshop in Brussels. Major milestones included flight tests with fully automatic avoidance manoeuvres of a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS). 

Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) represent an important part of future aviation. RPAS operations are expected to benefit European citizens in the fields of security, disaster relief and many other activities. It is therefore important that RPAS can fly in non-segregated airspace together with today's manned aviation. MIDCAS as the European Detect and Avoid project is a cornerstone to prepare a safe integration of RPAS in non-segregated airspace. 

The sixth and final MIDCAS Workshop in Brussels 

Since 2010, five MIDCAS stakeholder workshops have been organised providing opportunity for valuable discussions and exchange of information with stakeholders about the project results and findings. The final workshop, which took place 8 and 9 September, provided a summary of the project, final results and conclusions regarding operational and technical recommendations. ”About a hundred committed and engaged stakeholders from around the world took part in the workshop. This manifests the will and necessity of working together to bring Detect and Avoid to a conclusion” says Johan Pellebergs, MIDCAS project leader. 

Flights with a demonstrator Detect & Avoid (D&A) system integrated in the Sky-Y RPAS test bed have been successful. Fully automatic coupled avoidance manoeuvres were performed by the RPAS based on combined cooperative and non-cooperative detection as well as non-cooperative detection only against manned aircraft on collision course. Flight tests have covered numerous scenarios and sensor combinations bringing RPAS traffic integration a significant step closer to reality. The Detect and Avoid system tested, performs collision avoidance and traffic avoidance using data fusion for various combinations of the included detection technologies. 

Several types of simulations including Monte Carlo simulations, real-time simulations and Air Traffic Control operational simulations have also been performed to validate the system and operational requirements successfully. 

MIDCAS is the European Detect & Avoid Project 

The MIDCAS project was launched in 2009 by five contributing Member States (France, Germany, Italy and Spain under the lead of Sweden) under the framework of the European Defence Agency, with a total budget of €50 million. “EDA together with its participating Member States are committed to the operation of RPAS in European airspace coordinated with all other military and civilian traffic. MIDCAS has taken a key step forward to prepare the next generation of high performance European RPAS”, Peter Round, EDA Capability, Armament & Technology Director, says. 

MIDCAS has been carried out by an industrial consortium composed of eleven partners: Saab (project leader) from Sweden, Sagem and Thales from France, Airbus D&S, Diehl BGT Defence, DLR and ESG from Germany, Alenia Aermacchi, Selex ES, CIRA from Italy and Indra from Spain. Throughout the project, external stakeholders such as EASA, EUROCONTROL, EUROCAE and JARUS, were involved in the process. 

More information:

• News "MIDCAS demonstrates progress for RPAS integration into civil airspace" (30 April 2015)  
• News "Successful ESA-EDA Flight Demonstration on RPAS Insertion into Civil Airspace" (26 April 2015) 
• EDA initiatives in the field of RPAS

18/06/2015 Capitaine Karim Djemaï - Armée de l'air

Le centre d’excellence « drones » (CED), installé sur la base aérienne 701 de Salon-de-Provence, a intégré le réseau Provence Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) Network du pôle Pégase.

Cette annonce a été officialisée, jeudi 18 juin 2015, au Salon international de l’aéronautique et de l’espace du Bourget, par M. Michel Fiat, directeur du pôle Pégase, en présence du général Denis Mercier, chef d’état-major de l’armée de l’air et du général Francis Pollet, commandant l’École de l’air et la base aérienne 701 de Salon-de-Provence.

 « L’arrivée du CED au sein du Provence RPAS Network permet d’apporter l’expertise de l’armée de l’air dans le domaine de la formation, de la certification et de l’évaluation de nouveaux systèmes et concepts », estime le colonel Jean-François Héry-Goisnard, représentant de l’École de l’air auprès du pôle Pégase. « L’obtention de ce label est une reconnaissance de la qualité du CED, détaille quant à lui le général Pollet. Cela renforce notre crédibilité vis-à-vis du monde industriel et favorise le développement de synergies. »

Créé en mai 2006, le pôle Pégase est un pôle de compétitivité, dont l’activité essentielle est essentiellement centrée autour de l’aéronautique. L’École de l’air est membre du comité exécutif du pôle Pégase depuis les origines.

Le centre d’expertise drones de Salon-de-Provence

Afin de répondre à ses besoins croissants en formation et à sa volonté d’anticiper en matière d’innovation, l’armée de l’air a créé un centre d’excellence « drones » (CED) sur la base aérienne 701 de Salon-de-Provence. Un échelon de préfiguration a ainsi vu le jour en septembre 2014 et a accueilli ses premiers stagiaires en 2015 (Sensor Operators, opérateurs de mini-drones, stagiaires de haut niveau…).

Le CED possède une double vocation : former et innover. Le centre d’excellence « drones » compte ainsi un ensemble de moyens techniques afin de constituer un Mission Lab (laboratoire de recherche, de tests et de validations de systèmes). Les concepts innovants y sont matérialisés et testés in situ. Sept personnes forment actuellement son personnel d’encadrement. Actuellement en travaux, ces locaux rénovés doivent être livrés en février 2016.

Brussels - 30 April, 2015 by European Defence Agency

3 Mar 2015 By Beth Stevenson - FG

Brussels - The European Commission’s future air traffic management initiative has only one-third of the budget required to carry out the full integration of remotely piloted air systems (RPAS) into European airspace, a senior representative has acknowledged.

Speaking at the AUVSI Unmanned Systems conference in Brussels on 3 March, Denis Koehl, senior advisor for military affairs on the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) programme, explains that it is some €110 million ($123 million) short of the required amount for full unmanned air vehicle integration.

The disclosure comes ahead of a commission-sponsored conference on the future of ATM, due to begin on 5 March in Latvia. This is expected to produce decisions on the commitment that the EU will make towards the integration of UAVs into the SESAR programme.

Read more

December 2nd, 2014 defencetalk.com

First North-listed CybAero has been selected by the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) to conduct test and demonstration flights from Sweden’s world-leading Visby class corvette in Q3, 2015.

Sweden-based CybAero was chosen ahead of other international competitors. It is estimated that the flights, which will employ CybAero’s APID helicopter systems, are to be conducted by the Swedish Armed Forces over Swedish waters in Q3, 2015. The purpose of the flights is to test the strategic and tactical benefits of these systems onboard Swedish Navy vessels.

“We are, of course, very proud to have been selected, and this is a testament to the high level of confidence FMV has placed in us,” says Mikael Hult, CEO of CybAero.

One of the most important applications of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) is within maritime applications, and in recent years, CybAero has worked hard to establish its systems in this segment. CybAero will soon make its first deliveries to China Customs, which is the company’s first end client within maritime applications.

“Now that we have been chosen by FMV to conduct the test and demonstration flights, we have a great opportunity to put our systems on display, and this will serve as a good reference point for potential clients in Sweden and abroad,” says Mikael Hult.

CybAero develops and manufactures Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) and associated sensor systems for safer and more cost-effective operations in hazardous environments. The company has made a great international impact with its APID 60 helicopter, which can be adapted to coastal and border surveillance, search and rescue missions, and mapping.

CybAero’s head office is in the Mjärdevi Science Park in Linköping, Sweden. The company has more than 40 employees and has been listed on the NASDAQ OMX First North since 2007. Remium Nordic AB is the company’s certified adviser.

12 novembre 2014 par Gil Roy – Aerobuzz.fr

Dans le cadre du projet européen ODREA (1), pendant une dizaine de jours consécutifs des essais, en vraie grandeur, ont été réalisés dans la région Toulousaine avec un drone Patroller de Sagem pour tester la capacité du système télépiloté à s’insérer dans le trafic d’un aéroport international tel que Toulouse-Blagnac. La fonction « Détecter et éviter » (« Detect and Avoid ») a également été testée à l’aide d’un TB20 de l’ENAC, du côté de Muret.

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[1] Projet ODREA (Operational Demonstration of Remotely piloted aircraft systems in European Airspace) est co-financé par l’entreprise commune SESAR JU (Single European Sky ATM Research Joint Undertaking. Il regroupe des partenaires industriels et institutionnels français : Rockwell Collins France, Sagem (Groupe Safran), la DSNA (Direction des Services de la Navigation Aérienne) et l’ENAC (Ecole Nationale de l’Aviation Civile). L’objectif du projet ODREA est de définir des concepts opérationnels pour les RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft System), les procédures opérationnelles associées puis de les valider à l’aide de simulations et de vols réels avec l’aéronef télépiloté Patroller de Sagem, embarquant un pilote de sécurité.

Brussels - 06 October, 2014 European Defence Agency

On 2 October 2014, EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Štefan Füle visited the European Defence Agency. He exchanged views with EDA Chief Executive Claude-France Arnould on Remotely Piloted Air Systems (RPAS) as well as EDA support to the defence industry in Central and Eastern Europe.

Particular attention has been paid to EDA activities in the field of SMEs, such as facilitated access to EU funds and information about cross-border opportunities. In this respect, Commissioner Füle appreciated the important share of EDA in consolidation of Central and Eastern Europe, namely with regard to the integration into the European Defence and Security System, including the full opening of the Single Market potential to the Central and Eastern European defence industry. As a good example, Commissioner Füle particularly welcomed EDA participation in the International Fair of Defence and Security Technology (IDET) in May 2015 as an important contribution to the dialogue with Central and Eastern Europe.

Speaking about the future, Commissioner Füle and Claude-France Arnould both emphasized the need to maintain a close dialogue between EDA and the new European Commission as well as the importance for EDA to play its part in the future EU external policy.

02.07.2014 defnat.fr

Tribune par Patrice Mariotte, Président du directoire de la société TELERAD, PME technologique française (systèmes radio utilisés dans le contrôle de la navigation aérienne), et Bruno Grossières, en charge du développement commercial du secteur Défense de TELERAD.

L’apparition du premier aéronef sans pilote remonte probablement aux années 1930 avec le DH82 Queen Bee Tiger Moth, avion-cible utilisé par la Royal Navy pour ses exercices de tir anti-aérien. Depuis, les évolutions technologiques ont transformé les drones en outils incontournables pour les coeurs de systèmes stratégiques militaires et civils.

Si l’appellation « drone » (bourdon) semble trouver son origine par l’analogie avec le Queen Bee (reine des abeilles) les aéronefs sans pilote sont également connus sous l’acronyme UAV (Unmanned Aircraft Vehicle ou véhicule aérien inhabité). Les termes UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) aux États-Unis ou RPAS (Remotely-Piloted Aircraft Systems) en Europe sont plus particulièrement utilisés pour désigner des systèmes complets (l’aéronef lui-même, associé aux moyens périphériques destinés à le mettre en oeuvre).

La population de drones ne répond pas à des normes spécifiques comme le fait l’aviation traditionnelle. Extrêmement hétérogènes (taille, masse, propulsion, technologie), ces systèmes UAS ou RPAS proposent un impressionnant catalogue de possibilités (surveillance, transport, détection, protection d’infrastructures, recherche, etc.). Cependant, leur utilisation est fortement limitée par l’obligation d’évoluer exclusivement en espace aérien approprié, c’est-à-dire « ségrégué » (en zones réservées, restreintes et temporaires).

Le succès économique de ce nouveau type d’aéronef dépend donc tout particulièrement de sa future intégration sans restriction dans la circulation aérienne générale, dans un espace non « ségrégué ». Ce qui, à l’heure du « Ciel unique européen », représente un véritable défi. Cette intégration ne pourra être réalisée qu’au moyen de la mise en place de règles de sécurité adaptées, ainsi que grâce au développement de technologies adéquates.

En Europe, la SESAR JU (Single European Sky Air Traffic Management Research Joint Undertaking) dont l’objectif est de développer un système européen de gestion du trafic aérien et des standards techniques, a publié en juin 2013 une feuille de route visant l’intégration des RPAS civils dans l’espace aérien libre. Dans le domaine militaire, une feuille de route des systèmes RPAS a également été approuvée en novembre 2013. Par ailleurs, l’Agence européenne de Défense (AED) a établi un cadre programmatique pour développer les technologies nécessaires aux drones militaires, le « Joint Investment Programme on RPAS ».

La problématique n’est pas seulement européenne : l’intégration des UAS dans le « National Airspace System » (NAS) est également au coeur de l’actualité aéronautique des États-Unis. Ainsi, une feuille de route a été publiée par la FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) en novembre 2013. Via la PBFA (Policy Board on Federal Aviation) et l’Excom (UAS executive comitee), le Département de la Défense (DOD) travaille en étroite collaboration avec la FAA sur l’accès des drones militaires aux espaces aériens non-ségrégués.

Les RPAS civils et le ciel unique européen

Le « Ciel unique européen » constitue l’un des projets les plus ambitieux de recherche-développement jamais lancé par la Commission européenne. Le programme SESAR en est le pilier technologique et opérationnel.

L’intégration des drones n’était pas explicitement prévue dans les phases initiales de ce programme mais face à une demande croissante de ces nouveaux usagers de l’espace aérien, le Groupe de pilotage européen des drones aériens (The European Remotely Piloted Air Systems Steering Group – ERSG) a été mis en place par la Commission européenne en 2012. Ce groupe de pilotage est à l’origine d’une feuille de route, publiée à l’occasion du Salon aéronautique du Bourget en 2013, et ayant pour objectif une intégration initiale dans le système aérien à partir de 2016.

Cette feuille de route considère les systèmes drones RPAS civils, quelle que soit leur taille, comme des aéronefs. Cependant, le spectre des applications pour lesquelles les systèmes drones peuvent être utilisés étant plus large que celui de l’aviation commerciale traditionnelle, il est donc nécessaire, pour une intégration en toute sécurité dans les espaces aériens non-ségrégués de mener parallèlement plusieurs niveaux de réflexion. Ainsi, trois volets de travaux ont été identifiés : le volet développement de la réglementation sous la responsabilité de l’EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency), le volet R&D pour l’intégration à l’espace aérien confié à SESAR Joint Undertaking (SJU) et le volet traitant des aspects légaux sociétaux géré par la Commission européenne.

L’intégration dans l’espace aérien non-ségrégué sera progressive et établie en fonction des profils de vols typiques à chaque catégorie d’exploitation.

Au-dessous de 150 mètres d’altitude

Tout d’abord seront établies les conditions d’utilisation des drones à très bas niveau de vol, en dessous de 150 mètres d’altitude. On parle alors de Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) pour une utilisation de drone avec un rayon d’action inférieur à 500 mètres. Au-delà de 500 mètres, apparaissent les notions de RPAS avec l’Extended VLOS (E-VLOS) nécessitant des moyens de contact entre des observateurs et le pilote du drone, ou le Beyond VLOS (B-VLOS) pour les vols nécessitant un soutien technologique additionnel.

Au-dessus de 150 mètres d’altitude

L’exploitation des drones sera réalisée en espace non ségrégué et donc partagés avec les autres aéronefs. Dans ce cas on distinguera les RPAS « radio lineof- sight », dont la capacité clé sera le « detect and avoid », et les RPAS « Beyond radio line-of-sight » utilisant un lien de communication par satellite pour la commande et le contrôle. Dans tous les cas, le système RPAS doit être capable d’opérer dans un espace aérien mixte, à l’identique des avions pilotés, que ce soit en IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) ou en VFR (Visual Flight Rules). Il ne doit pas avoir un impact sur les autres utilisateurs de l’espace aérien et doit être en conformité vis-à-vis de la réglementation CNS (Communication Navigation Surveillance) selon la classe de l’espace aérien dans lequel il évolue.

Afin de prendre en compte la complexité de cette intégration qui nécessite l’émergence de nouvelles technologies et l’étude de nouvelles normes, la feuille de route propose trois sous-niveaux d’intégration pour chaque catégorie : l’exploitation initiale, l’intégration elle-même, puis l’évolution. Suite à ce processus, l’intégration finale des systèmes RPAS au-dessus de 150 mètres en espace aérien non ségrégué se dessine respectivement aux horizons 2023 et 2028 pour les vols IFR et VFR.

Dans le contexte de cette intégration des systèmes RPAS en espace multiavions, neufs projets mettant en oeuvre des drones de différents types et de différentes tailles ont été sélectionnés par SESAR JU. Ces projets ont pour objectifs d’explorer la faisabilité de l’intégration au sein d’une communauté d’aviation élargie en 2016 et de se focaliser sur des résultats concrets permettant de combler les écarts opérationnels et techniques. Ils doivent également permettre d’identifier les synergies ainsi que les risques et possibilités offertes vis-à-vis du programme SESAR.

Par ailleurs la SESAR JU a annoncé la publication d’un appel d’offre portant sur la phase de définition de l’insertion des RPAS civils dans le système d’aviation européen dans le contexte de l’initiative du ciel unique européen. L’objectif de cet appel d’offre est de détailler un programme R&D, qui sera intégré au calendrier des activités de validation nécessaires dans le cadre du programme SESAR 2020.

Les RPAS militaires et le Ciel unique européen

L’intégration des drones militaires (Male/Hale – moyenne/haute altitude, longue endurance) dans le ciel unique européen pose deux problématiques principales. La première est liée à la spécificité des missions militaires et à la construction d’un « Ciel militaire européen » permettant à des drones militaires de franchir les frontières. La seconde est l’intégration des drones militaires dans les espaces nonségrégués du Ciel unique européen.

Au niveau de la France, la solution actuelle repose sur la gestion de tronçons d’espaces aériens ségrégués qui sont dynamiquement ouverts puis fermés après le passage du drone, en coordination avec le contrôle aérien civil. C’est le concept de « smart segregation » créé par la Direction de la sécurité aéronautique de l’État (DSAE) pour l’utilisation des drones Male.

Au niveau européen, l’AED est l’un des principaux acteurs de l’insertion des drones dans le ciel européen. C’est l’interlocuteur privilégié de la SESAR JU en termes de coopération civilo-militaire et permet d’assurer l’implication de l’ensemble de la communauté militaire. Elle apporte son expertise et organise la collecte des résultats nécessaires dans des domaines spécifiques. La problématique d’insertion des drones est traitée dans le projet « EDA RPAS Pioneer Project » qui se décline en quatre piliers :

• Insertion dans le trafic aérien.

• Certification des RPAS.

• Le programme des drones Male européens futurs.

• La coopération militaire européenne.

Lors du Comité directeur de l’AED du 19 novembre 2013, les ministres de la Défense ont approuvé une feuille de route sur les systèmes RPAS qui vise à poser les bases d'une solution européenne à l’horizon 2020-2025.

En conclusion, véritable défi dans le cadre de la construction du Ciel unique européen, le succès de l'insertion des drones dans la circulation aérienne sera, à terme, un levier de croissance déterminant pour le développement des industries associées à leur production et à leur exploitation.

Éléments de bibliographie et liens Internet

« Interview du directeur exécutif de la SESAR Joint Undertaking » in La lettre TELERAD Défense, décembre 2013.

Feuille de route européenne « European RPAS Roadmap »

Feuille de route de l’AED

Rôle d’Eurocontrol dans l’intégration des RPAS.

Brussels - 15 May, 2014 European Defence Agency

The European Council meeting in December 2013 provided a clear set of tasks for the EDA, with four areas of capability development identified as being particularly urgent. Peter Round, the EDA’s Capability Director, explains what this means for the Agency.

Air-to-air refuelling (AAR), remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS), governmental satellite communications and cyber defence are the key issues which the European Council has identified as areas in which the EDA should work to fill in immediate capability gaps.

“Although these four tasks certainly occupy pole position in the Directorate’s thinking, they are not our only concerns. We need to examine these priorities in the context of our work as a whole. However, each of these four areas is on the priority list for a reason and they are worth examining in some detail,” said Round.

There can be no doubt there is a fundamental shortfall in European AAR capability. In operations over Libya, over 80% of all AAR missions were flown by US aircraft. One of the first challenges to be overcome, according to Round, is that the requirement for AAR is very different in peacetime to that in time of crisis – and that leads to all sorts of priority setting issues. “The obvious issue is that more capacity is required, but the background is complex and varies from nation to nation, so some strategic thinking has been necessary,” he said.

The first issue, therefore, has been to determine the best method of exploiting the existing fleet and satisfying short term demand. One solution has been to improve the efficiency of allocating various national assets and – in a move that mirrors some of the initiatives undertaken for the European Air Transport Command (EATC) – to improve and accelerate the process for gaining diplomatic clearance for AAR missions over foreign territories.

A parallel and potentially difficult issue to resolve is the two types of AAR technologies available – “booms” and “reels/hoses and drogues”.  Not all aircraft can accept fuel from both systems. The Royal Air Force, for example, currently has no indigenous refuelling capacity for the Rivet Joint signals intelligence platforms it is currently bringing into service and must depend on other nations assets if AAR is required.

Increased efficiency also comes from assuring adequate (and regular) training and the EDA is organising a number of what Round describes as “practical flying events,” the most recent of which took place at Decimomannu in Sardinia in late 2013. The next such event will focus on the use of Italian Boeing B767 tankers later this year.

Apart from improving the efficiency of current assets, the EDA is also working on initiatives including one looking at exploiting excess national capacity (with the UK’s Voyager fleet being a prime example.  A key piece of work is support to a Dutch and Norwegian led initiative to acquire a fleet of Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft which will make a significant contribution to European Capability through Pooling and Sharing, this aircraft will not only be a tanker but a very significant air transport asset as well.

The issues in the further evolution of RPAS are no less complex, but are significantly different. With the overwhelming majority of current requirements coming from the military – most of which, as Round said, have a provenance in the world of Urgent Operational Requirements – there is a tendency to forget that RPAS are most effective in an environment in which air supremacy is assured. Extending the RPAS capability from the military to the civil environment – in which the size of the market will be infinitely larger in the not-too-distant future – requires that attention be paid to a host of issues surrounding safety and public perception. “We absolutely have got to make RPAS acceptable ,” said Round.

The issue is one of the Agency’s Pioneer Projects, and aims at harnessing synergies in both military and civil domains, maximising dual-use technologies and overcoming the limitations of greater RPAS-use imposed by the lack of a harmonised framework allowing them to operate in civil airspace. Some of the problems associated with overcoming these limitations centre on the regulatory and certification domains.

In an important milestone, the MIDCAS (Midair Collision Avoidance System) project showed the capability of RPAS to operate safely beyond line of sight in a flight test in April 2013. “MIDCAS showed we are progressing towards ‘sense and avoid ;’ we have flown the airplane – it’s not pie in the sky,” said Round. He said “it has taken a long time – and great expense – to get to this stage but we have now reached the stepping-off point for the next generation: we’ve done it once, now we need to stop talking, and deliver a usable capability.” he said.

The DeSIRE programme (Demonstration of Satellites enabling the insertion of RPAS in Europe) has been a joint EDA/European Space Agency (ESA) initiative since 2010 and in spring 2013 achieved a significant progress during flight tests in Spain. Building on the capabilities the programme demonstrated, a joint investment programme, which was launched in 2012, will focus attention on solving the individual components of the issue – including sense and avoid, air traffic management interfaces and decision architecture - from this year. “There is cooperation in a host of disciplines – technological, training and maintenance among them” , said Round.

Most importantly we now have a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) community of users established through which we will continue work to move from our current Common Staff Requirement towards a Common Staff Target to define the next generation of RPAS for Europe.  “This is a very exciting development and clearly demonstrates the support within Europe for this type of Capability” said Round. 

A similar approach is being applied to the EDA’s work in the cyber domain, where the Agency provides “the defence element of a cross-Brussels cyber effort,” said Round. It is a domain that is sensitive, relatively new and not yet fully understood, though there have been no end of discussions trying to scope and size the credibility of the threat and therefore the appropriate nature of the response. “There is a lot of knowledge already in place, so the questions becomes where can we add value,” said Round.

The issue in cyber seems to revolve more around people than technology. Some observers estimate there is a requirement for fully trained cyber specialists is a hundred times the number in existence. This may seem like a scaremongering statistic  – but it is difficult to refute given current knowledge available in the public domain. As a result of the recognition of this and the picture revealed by the Agency stocktaking study, an unclassified version of which was presented in May last year, it is readily apparent that while there are strengths across Europe in leadership, personnel and interoperability work has to be done on doctrine, organisation and training.

So the EDA has conducted  a detailed Training Needs Analysis and currently works on building a comprehensive cyber defence curriculum. It is working closely with the US-led Multinational Capability Development Campaign to develop cyber defence operational planning and deploy situational awareness toolkits at headquarters level, thereby integrating consideration of cyber tasks into daily routines in missions and operations. It is working to promote its recently established Cyber Defence Research Agenda, the end result of which will be an R&T roadmap stretching out for the next ten years. It has already launched a project addressing the requirements for timely detection of advanced persistent threats – an area in which industrial espionage is as great a threat as military security. It has begun consultations under the umbrella of European Framework Cooperation to determine how to exploit the wealth of academic expertise in cryptology and information protection, turning it into practical solutions for timely implementation.

“We have done a lot of work in quite a short period and are confident we are heading towards early implementation of some effective solutions for Member States’ requirements in this critical domain,” said Round.

In terms of satellite communications (satcom) Round said this is “the ultimate Pooling & Sharing example.” The requirements for governmental satcom are very different in peacetime than in a period of crisis which, coupled with the high levels of capital expenditure involved in launching and maintaining satellites, means the incidence of capability is limited to a few nations – and even in those cases, despite the fact that satellites are ‘living longer,’ these capabilities will require replacement in the medium term future.

“Space is not a military domain – the requirements for exploitation of this type of capability stretch right across government. There is a real opportunity here to share capability,” said Round. The establishment of the European Satellite Communication Procurement Cell has enabled Member States with or without such capability to supplement or procure capability on an ad hoc basis. The French military, for example, bought capability through the European Satellite Communication Procurement Cell (ESCPC) to support their operations in Mali at extremely short notice.

Conclusions

While these four work strands dominate EDA capability development activity at the moment, they are not the be all and end all of this genre of effort. “One of the effects of recession is the need to work together – not the aspiration, the need. The longer Member States are involved in working together, the greater the level of trust that develops and therefore the clearer and swifter the path to success. Which leads to the likelihood of continued cooperation,” said Round. “We have significant experience of collaborative projects – and we have real, concrete, demonstrable success stories.”

More information

• European Defence Matters Issue 5
• Air-to-Air Refuelling
• Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems
• Cyber Defence
• Governmental Satellite Communication

source Fondation Robert Schuman

La Commission européenne a proposé le 8 avril 2014 de fixer de nouvelles normes strictes pour réglementer les activités des drones (systèmes d'aéronef télépiloté, RPAS) à usage civil. Les nouvelles normes porteront sur la sécurité, la sûreté, le respect de la vie privée, la protection des données, l'assurance et la responsabilité. L'objectif est de permettre à l'industrie européenne de devenir l'un des leaders mondiaux du marché pour cette technologie émergente, tout en assurant la mise en place de toutes les garanties nécessaires...

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A soldier watches as a Tarantula Hawk (T-Hawk) Micro Remote Piloted Air System (RPAS) hovers over the desert in Afghanistan.

Photographer: Captain Dave Scammell

The Tarantula-Hawk takes off vertically and hovers to get a clear view of the ground ahead of troops.

It is used by the British Army in Afghanistan, clearing routes without risking human life and checking for roadside bombs.

Talisman is the army unit using T-Hawk. It is a counter-IED task force and uses specialist equipment, including this drone, to clear routes for large convoys.