Panagiotis Kikiras and Shahzad Ali, Brussels EDA: protecting forces in theater and citizens at home A broad framework to conduct cooperative research

Maximising complementarity and synergy of security, space and defence research activities EDA: protecting forces in theater and citizens at home by Dr Panagiotis Kikiras and Shahzad Ali, European Defence Agency, Brussels

The European Defence Agency (EDA) has developed activities aimed at strengthening European armed forces capabilities to safely operate in a CBRN environment, while contributing to civilian-led crisis response operations, if needed. Defence against Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) threats is of the utmost importance for both the protection of forces in theatre, as well as citizens at home.

Synchronisation of R&T investment The European Commission (EC), the European Defence Agency (EDA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) aim at maximising complementary and synergy of civilian security, space and defence-related research activities. This synchronisation of R&T investment takes place in the context of the European Framework Cooperation (EFC). The EC, EDA, and ESA explore together possible cooperation in the fields of CBRN, unmanned aerial systems and situation awareness capabilities as sensors, cyber security and information management. EDA has been mandated by its participating Member States to develop the cooperation modalities under the EFC, in close consultation with EC and ESA. In support of such coordination the three organisations will provide for one another the relevant project information relating to the preparation of calls for proposals or invitations to tender, the evaluation of these proposals or tenders as well as the implementation of research activities.

Joint Investment Programme Principles: Protection against CBRN threats is the first mature topic within the EFC. Notably, a Joint Investment Programme (JIP) bringing together Member States and industry was launched in 2012 with a view to stimulate and coordinate European defence research in the field of CBRN protection and identify critical technologies for future CBRN equipment and solutions. The Joint Investment Programme on CBRN Protection (JIP CBRN) is a centrally-managed programme with a budget funded by all contributing Member States (MS). Twelve MS 1 and Norway contributed to the JIP CBRN, with an allocated ad hoc budget of 12 million to this EDA chaired programme 2 which is overseen by a Management Committee (MC) including a representative from each contributing MS. The MC decides on the technological content and selection of the proposals, as well as project management and dissemination of results. JIP experience: The detailed objectives of the programme included the R&T goals which were generated from military CBRN protection capability needs, allowing for the involvement of a wide range of entities competent to address the shortfalls on a competitive basis. It also increased the opportunity for the “Contributing Members” to cooperate with each other and to exchange information and know how. Two calls have been launched, resulting in the selection of 14 CBRN Protection Research projects, whereby 6 have so far been finalised and 8 are on-going, having already attracted much attention from both European and non-European stakeholders. The selected R&T projects addressed the following topics: • Improved Standoff Detection of C Agents; • Simultaneous Analysis of CBR Agents (Mixed Samples); • Next Generation Point Detection for B Agents; • M&S of CBRN System Architectures; • Next Generation Personal Protection; • Next Generation Collective Protection; • Next Generation Decontamination; and • CBRN Sensor-Networking.

The future of CBRN research in EDA EDA is in the process of updating the CBRN Strategic Research Agenda, which will provide a roadmap for future investments based on the identified (and remaining) technology gaps and priorities identified with the involvement of MS 1 Ministries of Defence and Subject Matter Experts. Another initiative to further develop new CBRN capabilities and services at a European level is the cooperation between EDA and the European Space Agency (ESA). An EDA-ESA workshop was hosted earlier this year to consult experts from cross-cutting domains on the possible role of space services in addressing CBRNe risks. The workshop was aiming at informing the participants of a call for tenders for studies proposing “Space Based Services in Support of CBRNe Operations”. We are now looking forward to start the evaluation of the proposals. Collective expertise: The cooperation between EDA and ESA is a prime example on how we are able to use the collective expertise from the scientific communities in the armed forces, defence research establishments, government laboratories, and the public and private sector to enforce the security of our citizens. The results will enable us to exploit space systems to provide fast and accurate response to CBRNe threats, increasing public situational awareness and enhancing prediction and early warning.

CBRN decontamination-demonstration

Source: © EDA

New drivers for innovation: Times in which defence research was at the onset of key technological advances (GPS, Internet et aliud) are far away. Today, civil and commercial markets are driving innovation in most underlying technologies. That is the reason why EDA is increasingly engaging with non-traditional defence R&T communities and innovators in order to speed access to emerging and potentially disruptive research results and possibly identifying areas in which additional investments are needed to fully address future capability needs. EDA will launch, later this year, in the CBRN area, one of the first defence innovation challenges, in view of identifying innovative ideas with potential impact either on future defence capabilities or on existing capability gaps.

Conclusions CBRN protection is an important dual use domain in which Member States have jointly invested at a European level. In view of emerging CBRN threats mid- to long-term, Member States see a need for enhanced technological development. End users require that the CBRN detection technologies must be high in performance and low in detection thresholds in a miniaturised, unmanned, self-movable and autonomous way that is much easier to handle. Stand-off detection and improved point detection of threat agents are needed to have more time to react and protect. In this context the European Defence Agency will continue supporting Member States and provide a broad framework to conduct cooperative research in the fields of basic and applied science, to carry technology development up to the level of demonstration projects.

Dr Panagiotis Kikiras is Head of Unit, Innovative Research at the European Defence Agency. Shahzad Ali is Project Officer, CBRN and Human Factors at the European Defence Agency.

1 Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Sweden. 2 https://www.eda.europa.eu/what-we-do/eda-priorities/research-technology

“End users require that the CBRN detection technologies must be high in performance and low in detection thresholds in a miniaturised, unmanned, self-movable and autonomous way that is much easier to handle.”

P. Kikiras/Sh. Ali