Airbus coordinates four European Defence Fund R&D projects

As part of the European Union’s initiative to support collaborative defence research and development (R&D) to address emerging and future challenges and threats, Airbus will coordinate four defence R&D projects following the successful signature of the grant agreement between the European Commission and the consortia. These projects will receive EU funding of EUR 40.7 million from the European Defense Fund (EDF) and additional Member States’ co-financing. 

As part of the EU’s toolbox to ensure its citizens’ security, The EDF projects are designed to support innovative defence capability projects in critical areas such as naval, ground, air combat, space-based early warning and cyber. These will help develop the next generation of cutting-edge technologies to prepare for and deter ongoing and future conflicts.

Delivering on its 2022 work programme whose grants agreements have recently been signed, the European Commission will fund 41 collaborative R&D projects in total, supporting innovative defence capability projects in critical areas such as naval, ground, air combat, space-based early warning and cyber, and with a budget of EUR 832 million. Airbus will participate overall in ten projects and will coordinate the following four projects:

• Single European Sky and InterOPerability (SESIOP) aims to enhance the efficiency and safety of European airspace by harmonising Air Traffic Management (ATM) systems across member states. The outcome of the project will improve the interactions for air traffic across the civilian and defence domains.

• EUropean Cyber INFormation warfare toolbox (EUCINF) will equip European member states with resources and strategies to counter cyber threats and disinformation, developing technological infrastructure designed to detect these threats and deliver countermeasures to secure confidential data.

• Space based Persistent ISR for Defence and Europe Reinforcement (SPIDER) will conduct a feasibility study to address the development of multi-mission affordable satellite constellations dedicated to space-based Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities in defence and reinforcing European security.

• Future Air System for European Tactical Transportation (FASETT) will analyse the technical and market possibilities for the potential development of a new cost competitive and robust European airlifter. The consortium will assess the needs of EU Member States for new transport aircraft in the 2030-2040 time horizon. 

Airbus is also a partner in six further multinational EDF projects: Technology Innovation for Radar European SYstem ApplicationS (TIRESYAS); Adapting Cyber Awareness for Evolving Computing Environments (NEWSROOM); Responsive European Architecture for Space (REACTS); multinatiOnal Development INitiative for a Space-based missilE earlYwarning architecture II (ODIN’S EYE II); ClOud iNtelligent explosiVe detectiOn sYstem (CONVOY); and FEDerated Ecosystem of euRopean simulation Assets for Training and dEcision Support (FEDERATES).

The European Defence Fund’s target is to allocate EUR 8 billion until 2027. EUR 2.7 billion to fund collaborative defence research and EUR 5.3 billion euros to fund collaborative capability development projects complementing national contributions.

Airbus stands ready to continue contributing to the EU & NATO’s security through its different initiatives, and currently awaits with high interest and expectations the upcoming presentation of the European Defence Industrial Strategy.