EU defence ministers approved 14 new Permanent Cooperation in Defence (PESCO) projects to jointly develop capabilities among the 25 participating member states (all EU nations except Denmark and Malta) during a meeting in Brussels on 16 November. This brings to 60 the total number of PESCO projects launched to date.
European Defence Agency (EDA) chief executive JiĹĂ Ĺ edivĂ˝ declared after the meeting that the new batch, the fourth since PESCO's launch in December 2017, âis an important milestone for European defence co-operation. These 14 new projects invigorate the PESCO processâ.
The new projects offer a mix of equipment- and service/support-orientated capabilities across all services: six in the air domain and two each in the land, maritime, space, and cyber/command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) domains. Several involve sizeable kit ambitions such as a five-nation effort to develop strategic airlift for heavy cargo.
Another involving Estonia, France, and Latvia aims to develop a medium-size, semi-autonomous surface vehicle with a displacement of 250â500 tonnes. Focused primarily on littoral operations, it will be equipped with multiple mission modules for manned or unmanned ISR, counter-submarine and surface warfare, and mine countermeasures. Its initial requirements âhave already been drafted and industry partners are working to establish a consortiumâ, the EDA said in statement after the meeting.
Two other projects stand out, according to the agency. One involves Germany, Portugal, Spain, and Slovenia in the development of a small (150 kg), multi-role tactical next-generation remotely piloted air system for maritime and air operations. Completion of design and requirements is scheduled by 2023; systems integration and interoperability tests through 2025; and initial prototype delivery in 2026.
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