The Council of the EU adopted, on Tuesday 16 November, an updated list of projects to be undertaken under the EU’s Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), adding 14 projects to the existing 46.
These projects cover five military domains: land (2 projects), maritime (2), air (6), cyberspace/C4ISR (command, control, communications, computers) (2) and space (2). In total, 21 of the 25 Member States participating in PESCO are involved in these projects.
Among the new projects is the Strategic Air Transport for Outsized Cargo (SATOC), which will develop a European solution for outsized and heavy cargo transport using a step-by-step approach, according to the EU Council. This project will be developed by Germany, the Czech Republic, France, the Netherlands and Slovenia. A project for a future medium-sized tactical cargo ship (FMTC) is also being launched.
Estonia, France and Latvia will develop a project on the medium-sized semi-autonomous surface vehicle (M-SASV). The vehicle, which can be used for littoral operations and naval task forces, will be equipped with several mission modules and will offer increased operational flexibility and crew protection.
The NGSR project (Next Generation Small Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems) will develop the next generation of tactical UAVs for use by military units in the maritime and air domains, as well as for dual use (civil-military). Spain, Germany, Portugal and Slovenia are participating in this project.
The Defence of Space Assets (DoSA), led by France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal and Austria, aims to increase the EU’s operational effectiveness in space by making the best use of current and future space assets through cross-cutting space access, passive defence and operational effectiveness functions through training.
The EU Military Partnership (EU MilPart) and a Common Hub for Governmental Imagery (CoHGI) are also among the new projects, as is the Automated Modelling, Identification and Damage Assessment of Urban Terrain (AMIDA-UT).
According to the European Defence Agency, 24 to 26 of the 46 projects already underway can be expected to reach initial operational capability by 2025.
The EU Council also adopted two recommendations setting out more precise objectives for the second initial phase of the PESCO for 2021-2025 and on the progress made by the members of the Permanent Structured Cooperation in meeting their commitments.
Details of new projects: https://bit.ly/3ovD11e (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)