The Council of the EU has adopted the fifth wave of collaborative projects within the framework of the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). In total there are 11 new projects with 15 Member states participating. The projects cover six military domains and include critical capabilities. The updated list of projects under PESCO now stands at 68.
The projects are designed to increase the coherence of the European capability landscape and deliver operational benefits for European Armed Forces. They range from the development of new military capabilities and the identification of future needs in areas such as future military rotorcrafts and air-launched missiles, to communication infrastructure and joint training for defense airlift.
The 11 new projects cover six military domains: 1 project for training, 2 projects for land forces, 3 projects for maritime forces, 2 projects for air forces, 2 projects in cyber/C4ISR domain, and one project in enabling, which will be led by seven different Member States as project coordinators.
New measures are being taken within the framework of the program against the background of the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict, which has a direct impact on the defense policy of European countries.
“Against the backdrop of Russia-Ukraine conflict and its military implications, including the requirements for high-intensity warfare, these new PESCO projects aim at delivering critical capabilities with a more operational focus. We cannot build a stronger European defense without ensuring European armed forces are ready and well-equipped for future challenges. Today PESCO is moving forward and by 2025 over 50 projects will reach their delivery phase, enhancing the EU’s defense cooperation and the EU’s ability to act.”
Josep Borrell, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
Within the framework of the new programs, special attention is paid to critical defense capabilities, which include:
- Critical Seabed Infrastructure Protection – The Critical Seabed Infrastructure Protection (CSIP) project aims at increasing the EU’s operational efficiency in the protection of critical maritime infrastructure by making best use of current, and the development of future, underwater assets. The six participating Member States are: Italy, Germany, Spain, France, Portugal, and Sweden. An initial project timeline for the collection and harmonization of requirements will run until 2024 with a possible agreement on a common procurement foreseen in 2028.
- Next Generation Medium Helicopter – The Next Generation Medium Helicopter (NGMH) project aims to create a dedicated forum that will address operational needs both on the upgrade of existing fleets and on the European Next Generation Rotorcraft, harmonizing the needs and timelines of EU countries on the future capabilities of rotorcrafts. The NGMH will ensure the availability and suitability of EU helicopter fleets until 2040 and the preparation of the European Next Generation Rotorcraft, including the ability to face high intensity conflicts. The project launch and execution year is planned for 2023, with four participating Member States: France, Italy, Finland and Sweden.
- Counter Battery Sensors – The Counter Battery Sensors (CoBaS) project aims at developing a common concept for a next generation counter-battery capability for EU armed forces and facilitating future common procurement of means for counter-artillery. Current warfare trends have reasserted the primary importance and massive use of artillery capabilities on the battlefield. In this context, the project will increase participating Member States’ ability to respond more efficiently to future trends in high intensity conflicts. France and Netherlands are the two participating Member States. CoBaS will deliver the newest set of capabilities, benefitting from the emerging technologies and adapted to new threats that are linked to the performance of effective artillery systems developed by 2030-2035.
- Further projects include air-to-air and anti-torpedo munitions – Eight further projects include European Defence Airlift Training Academy (EDA-TA); Anti-Torpedo Torpedo (ATT); Future Short-Range Air to Air Missile (FSRM); Integrated Unmanned Ground Systems 2 (iUGS2); Integrated Multi-Layer Air and Missile Defence system (IMLAMD); Arctic Command & Control Effector and Sensor System (ACCESS); Robust Communication Infrastructure and Networks (ROCOMIN); and ROLE 2F.
Source: Permanent Structured Cooperation
