Air combat capabilities

Specific Challenge : The development of a consolidated EU perspective with regard to mid- and long term applications, requirements, solution concepts and technology needs for a EU multiplatform mission management capability for air combat. This call intends to provide a consolidated baseline within the EU Member States and industry in this subject matter, to identify potential “quick-wins” for European air combat capabilities and to set the starting point to ensure a high level of interoperability amongst future developments and products in this domain to finally support the path of achieving the desired air superiority. Driven by the anticipated future threats in the air combat domain, mainly the existence and proliferation of highly integrated and networked air defence systems, fighter aircrafts of fifth generation and the expected limitations in use of the electromagnetic spectrum, the Capability Development Plan (CDP) highlights the need to integrate and “combine manned and unmanned platforms in a larger operational system”. The development of future air combat systems will be characterized by an information centric networked approach. The next generation of air combat capabilities is envisaged as a combination of manned platforms – both newly developed and enhanced legacy fighter aircraft platforms–, teamed with a variety of unmanned systems, all equipped with a diversity of sensors and/or effectors. To enable the variety of different assets to operate during an air operation together jointly and synchronized, to share sensor and effector resources, to share information and situational awareness overall leading to information and ultimately decision superiority to achieve the mission, a highly integrated multiplatform mission management capability will be required. In the context of this call, this multiplatform mission management capability must be understood as the capability to enable a group, composed of several air combat platforms (manned and unmanned) of different types and capabilities, achieving a common mission task or goal. Moreover, such multiplatform mission management capability must be able to coordinate several groups of air combat platforms in time and space. Current European air combat systems (e.g. Rafale, Eurofighter, Gripen, European MALE RPAS) are foreseen to be embedded as “enhanced legacy platforms” in the future air combat system(s). Concepts for other unmanned air combat platforms (e.g. remote carriers, smart cruise missiles, UCAV ( Unmanned combat aerial vehicle) ) are under development in several EU Member States. In the context of multiplatform command and control/mission management, concepts and demonstrators (such as manned-unmanned teaming) are also in development. With regard to integration and combination of air combat platforms in Europe, on the long-term within a future air combat system, on the mid-term by trying to enhance European air combat capabilities by partial combination and integration of existing systems, the challenges are: EU Member States lack a consolidated perspective of use cases, applications, high level operational and technical requirements with regard to multiplatform management capabilities between air combat platforms, manned and unmanned; the further development of platform and operating concepts and architectures in national EU Member State silos is prone to hamper interoperability of later on systems and products, causing the need for further investments to harmonize developments at a later stage; the need for a contemporary initiation of the development of early multiplatform mission management capabilities based on legacy fighter aircraft platforms to enhance European air combat capabilities in the mid-term, by ensuring later on interoperability with future air combat systems. Scope : The proposals must address the generation of a consolidated perspective of interested EU Member States and industries with regard to mid- and long-term development of an EU mult