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European Commission Call for Proposals for EU Action Grants

Deadline: 24-Nov-22

The European Commission (EC) has announced a call for proposals for EU action grants (Deployable Special Operations Forces Multi-environment Command Post and C2 System) in the field of collaborative defence research and development under the European Defence Fund (EDF).

Objectives
  • In the context of CSDP operations, Small Joint Operations (SJO) conducted by Special Operation Forces (SOF) can provide a wide array of flexible military options for a rapid and effective response to the whole spectrum and all the stages of the fast-evolving crisis management landscape. The use of SOF can evidently decrease the risk of escalation that is generally associated with the employment of larger and more visible combat forces. Furthermore, SOF can be used in order to prepare and incorporate the full capacity and rapid deployment of such larger EU military forces and reinforce their operational capacities when they are already deployed in an operational theatre, in order to stabilise a deteriorating situation.
  • SOF can also contribute to the effort to maintain the maritime security across Mediterranean Sea, to conduct maritime security and interdiction operations in the context of combating maritime terrorist, to mitigate refugee flows and intercept illegal trafficking of people and goods.
  • A key contribution from SOF to SJO is their highly flexible mobility that can provide the ability to rapidly adapt and respond to a broad range of operational scenarios in every operational domain (land, sea, air and cyber) with minimum or no demand for host nation support.
  • Against this background, the SOFCPC2 should provide adequate flexibility, interoperability, deployability, scalability, discretion and redundancy, notably concerning communications systems and networks, in order to adapt easily in rapidly changing levels of conflict.

Proposals must focus on the development of a capability considering SOF specific requirements, which includes not only generic C2 capabilities but also those tailored for SOF. Those SOF specific requirements imply interoperability with higher level C2 Systems and with tactical edge communication systems for field deployed operators, rapid deployment capabilities in various areas of interest supporting several SOF teams, low thermal signature power supplies and multi-environment operational capabilities as a standalone asset.

Details

Proposals must in particular address the development of:

  • A SOFCPC2 hosting infrastructure, transportable by air, road and sea, and rapidly deployable, including accommodation facilities, HVAC, water supply and sewage to support all operations. The facilities should be modular and adaptable to all climate zones and in line with operating Member States and Norway’ needs, with the ability to be deployed on board of sea-based assets or naval vessels.
  • An autonomous, energy supply system with low thermal and acoustic emission that can be integrated to air, road and sea transportable SOFCPC2 hosting infrastructure.
  • An ad-hoc, adaptive, interoperable, resilient, and cyber-secure, end-to-end SOFCPC2 communication system, able to be integrated in the broader C2 infrastructure, enabling the exchange of information across the entire command hierarchy, with platforms and down to the field-deployed operators.
  • An integrated C2 platform, intelligence and sensing software platform.
  • A system capable to receive and fuse information from heterogeneous sensors, manned and unmanned platforms.
  • A SOFCPC2 end-user terminal (field-deployed special operator), including applications to achieve the integration of C2, intelligence, sensors, weapon systems and communications platforms to a seamless architecture.
  • A SOFCPC2 perimeter security system and its integration with the C2 and communications platforms.
Types of Activities
  • Activities that aim to create, underpin and improve knowledge, products and technologies, including disruptive technologies, which can achieve significant effects in the area of defence (generating knowledge)
  • Activities that aim to increase interoperability and resilience, including secured production and exchange of data, to master critical defence technologies, to strengthen the security of supply or to enable the effective exploitation of results for defence products and technologies (integrating knowledge)
  • Studies, such as feasibility studies to explore the feasibility of new or upgraded products, technologies, processes, services and solutions
  • Design of a defence product, tangible or intangible component or technology as well as the definition of the technical specifications on which such design has been developed, including partial tests for risk reduction in an industrial or representative environment
  • System prototyping of a defence product, tangible or intangible component or technology (prototype)
  • Testing of a defence product, tangible or intangible component or technology
  • Qualification of a defence product, tangible or intangible component or technology
  • Certification of a defence product, tangible or intangible component or technology
  • Development of technologies or assets increasing efficiency across the life cycle of defence products and technologies
Funding Information

The available call budget is EUR 20 000 000.

Expected Impact

By providing a reference SOF C2 System, hence improving the capabilities of the European defence technological and industrial base to develop and supply state-of-the-art C2 systems, the action should contribute to:

  • promote the upgraded role of SOF as envisioned by EU;
  • enable efficient SOF deployments where no permanent C2 infrastructure exists, with a state-of-the-art deployable European SOFCPC2;
  • shorten the response times of the EU and its Member States as well as associated countries during both peace and war time, for a variety of missions, both civilian and military;
  • reduce the cost of EU SOF SJO missions;
  • facilitate the collaboration and interoperability among Member States, notably through integrated CIS and ISR means provided by Member States and Norway, EU forces, and civil agencies;
  • enhance the security of supply and reduce dependencies.
Eligibility Criteria

In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:

  • 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
  • have their executive management structure established in eligible countries
  • must not be subject to control by a non-associated third country or nonassociated third-country entity

For more information, visit European Commission.

For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3OgZf2w