European Defence Fund: Technologies for Counter-Battery Capabilities

Objective

• Given that artillery is still responsible for the vast majority of losses suffered by armies facing each other on the battlefield, this call topic aims to explore and mature the technologies required to destroy or neutralise all enemies’ artillery potential, thereby ensuring the survival of own forces and safeguarding their operational capacity.

Funding Information

• The estimated available call budget is EUR 20000000.
• Project duration: between 12 and 48 months.

Eligible Projects

• The proposal must address:
  • Research on new and innovative technologies useful for counter-battery capability.
  • Possibilities for adaptation of existing state of the art technologies useful for counter-battery capabilities (to detect, to locate, to identify, to communicate).
  • Research on passive and active sensors portfolio:
    • Acoustic and seismic.
    • Optical/optronics.
    • Radar/ESM.
    • Research on possible carrier systems for sensors, e.g., UxVs, balloons, vehicles, or stationary platforms.
    • Research on new and innovative deploying mechanisms.
    • The proposed technological solutions should present an optimal compromise on cost/performance.
    • Depending on the maturity of the technologies, it may also address other targets in tactical and operational depth.

Eligible Activities

• Accordingly, the proposals must cover at least the following tasks as part of mandatory activities:
  • Generating knowledge:
    • Creating an overview of current and outdated methods for detection, locating and identification of critical components in enemy artillery systems.
    • Creating an overview of different scenarios for counter-battery capabilities based on current and historical scenarios.
  • Integrating knowledge:
    • Assess potential of current active and passive sensors.
  • Studies:
    • Integration of sensors into different platforms, e.g., UxV, etc.
    • Feasibility studies on deployment mechanisms, e.g., airdrop, firing by weapon systems, autonomous deployment, etc.
    • Feasibility studies on acoustic and seismic sensors to identify indirect fire and ways to design an acoustic-seismic signature database.
    • Feasibility studies on optical and optronics sensors to identify indirect fire and ways to design an optical and optronics signature database.
    • Feasibility studies on active and passive radio frequency sensors and ways to design a radio frequency database.
    • Feasibility studies on exploitation of illuminators of opportunity (e.g., 5G, DAB, etc.).
    • Feasibility studies on GNSS and alternative positioning technologies for sensors.
• In addition, the proposals should cover the following tasks, as part of the optional activities:
  • Design:
    • Preliminary design studies of an automated (e.g., AI-supported) system that integrates the information from the various sensors.
    • Preliminary design of a (semi-)automated (e.g., AI-supported) target identification system using the signature databases.
    • Preliminary design of a sensor that allows the exploitation of illuminators of opportunity (e.g., 5G, DAB, etc.).

Expected Outcomes

• The outcome should contribute to:
  • Develop and increase maturity of innovative technologies specifically adapted to counter-battery systems for all armies of EU Member States and EDF Associated Countries .
  • Develop low-cost and, if needed, expendable alternatives for high-risk missions.
  • Opportunity to find commonalities for generic targeting in depth.
  • Increase EU industry capability to produce counter-battery systems.
  • Consolidate the offer of EU competitive solutions for the global market.
  • Reduce dependencies on non-EU or non-EDF Associated countries suppliers by boosting the EDTIB and promoting the development of a EU solution.

Eligibility Criteria

• In order to be eligible, all applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must cumulatively:
  • Be legal entities (public or private bodies)
  • Be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
    • EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs))
    • Non-EU countries :
      • Listed EEA countries (‘EDF associated countries’; list of participating countries)
  • Have their executive management structure established in eligible countries − not be subject to control by a non-associated third country or non-associated third-country entity (unless they can provide guarantees – approved by the Member State or EDF associated country where they are established)

For more information, visit European Commission.