Technologies for counter-battery capabilities

The outcome should contribute to:

• Develop and increase maturity of innovative technologies specifically adapted to counter-battery systems for all armies of EU Member States and EDF Associated Countries .
• Develop low-cost and, if needed, expendable alternatives for high-risk missions.
• Opportunity to find commonalities for generic targeting in depth.
• Increase EU industry capability to produce counter-battery systems.
• Consolidate the offer of EU competitive solutions for the global market.
• Reduce dependencies on non-EU or non-EDF Associated countries suppliers by boosting the EDTIB and promoting the development of a EU solution.

Given that artillery is still responsible for the vast majority of losses suffered by armies facing each other on the battlefield, this call topic aims to explore and mature the technologies required to destroy or neutralise all enemies’ artillery potential, thereby ensuring the survival of own forces and safeguarding their operational capacity.

Specific objective

In a changing geopolitical landscape, the armed forces of EU Member States and EDF Associated Countries face new and evolving threats. Artillery is responsible for 70% of combat losses. In this context, the ability to destroy or neutralise enemy artillery capabilities is vital to ensure the survival of land armies.

With the development of mobile manoeuvre concepts for field artillery (“shoot-and-scoot”) effective counter-battery fire has become increasingly more challenging as the required time from detection of enemy firing to own effect delivered in the target area might often exceed the time required for enemy formations to leave their firing positions. This is particularly a challenge at longer ranges, the tactical depth and farther, as the time of flight of our own munitions may pose a limitation on timely delivery of effect. It is therefore necessary to be able to detect and identify critical components of enemy artillery systems also in other postures than when firing.

This research topic aims at research of counter-battery capabilities, including detecting, locating, identifying, and communicating of the made observations.

Furthermore, capabilities to detect, locate and identify other enemy capabilities such as HQs, SHORAD, HIMAD, EW, FARP, logistics, etc. could be studied by opportunity through the R&T process.

The proposal must address:

• Research on new and innovative technologies useful for counter-battery capability.
• Possibilities for adaptation of existing state of the art technologies useful for counter-battery capabilities (to detect, to locate, to identify, to communicate).
• Research on passive and active sensors portfolio:
  • Acoustic and seismic.
  • Optical/optronics.
  • Radar/ESM.
• Research on possible carrier systems for sensors, e.g., UxVs, balloons, vehicles, or stationary platforms.
• Research on new and innovative deploying mechanisms.

The proposed technological solutions should present an optimal compromise on cost/performance.

Depending on the maturity of the technologies, it may also address other targets in tactical and operational depth.

Types of activities

The following types of activities are eligible for this topic:

Accordingly, the proposals must cover at least the following tasks as part of mandatory activities:

• Generating knowledge:
  • Creating an overview of current and outdated methods for detection, locating and identification of critical components in enemy artillery systems.
  • Creating an overview of different scenarios for counter-battery capabilities based on current and historical scenarios.
• Integrating knowledge:
  • Assess potential of current active and passive sensors.
• Studies:
  • Integration of sensors into different platforms, e.g., UxV, etc.
  • Feasibility studies on deployment mechanisms, e.g., airdrop, firing by weapon systems, autonomous deployment, etc.
  • Feasibility studies on acoustic and seismic sensors to identify indirect fire and ways to design an acoustic-seismic signature database.
  • Feasibility studies on optical and optronics sensors to identify indirect fire and ways to design an optical and optronics signature database.
  • Feasibility studies on active and passive radio frequency sensors and ways to design a radio frequency database.
  • Feasibility studies on exploitation of illuminators of opportunity (e.g., 5G, DAB, etc.).
  • Feasibility studies on GNSS and alternative positioning technologies for sensors.

In addition, the proposals should cover the following tasks, as part of the optional activities:

• Design:
  • Preliminary design studies of an automated (e.g., AI-supported) system that integrates the information from the various sensors.
  • Preliminary design of a (semi-)automated (e.g., AI-supported) target identification system using the signature databases.
  • Preliminary design of a sensor that allows the exploitation of illuminators of opportunity (e.g., 5G, DAB, etc.).

Functional requirements

The proposed product and technologies should meet the following functional requirements:

• Ability to timely detect, locate and identify different typologies of indirect enemy effectors (e.g., artillery, mortars, rockets, loitering munitions, etc.).
• Minimum range of at least 200 km (tactical depth).
• Operational in climate zones that are of interest to the EU Member States and EDF Associated Countries with a “one applies to all” way of usage.
• Operational in GNSS denied areas.
• Determine own position with a SEP below 10 meters.
• Determine enemy firing positions with a SEP below 30 meters.
• Operational in a contested EW environment.
• Robust against jamming, spoofing and EMP.
• Low own energetic signature.
• Ability to identify various projectiles (e.g., missiles, rockets, shells, loitering munitions etc.).
• Compatible with relevant communication and information systems using relevant standards.

The proposed product and technologies may meet the following functional requirements:

• Ability to track detected targets, both artillery and other high-value assets, for subsequent engagement.
• Ability to identify various UAVs by their acoustic signatures (e.g., sound of rotor blades).
• Desired range of up to 500 km (operational depth).