EU Defence Agency to boost CBRN surveillance
The European Defence Agency (EDA) has agreed to support the implementation of the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) project as an agency initiative for the development of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear surveillance as a service (CBRN SaaS).
The CBRN SaaS project will create a system that will provide CBRN surveillance capabilities around the clock to be developed under the PESCO initiative and led by Austria.
The project team aims to develop a system for use in the military and civilian environment for real-time CBRN tracking, identification and incident management.
The use of unmanned aerial vehicles and ground systems with multiple sensors will be included in CBRNSaaS.
The plan will include EU countries including Hungary, Croatia and Slovenia as well as Austria.
During a ceremony, the PESCO project was formally transferred to allow its development as an EDA project.
The project’s proposed unmanned sensor network will allow a recognised CBRN image to assist in decision-making. Sensors are collecting and transmitting data to decision makers.
The EDA stated that using unmanned systems will help reduce the risk to operators while enhancing the flexibility of operations.
Austria Defence Minister Thomas Starlinger said: “CBRN SaaS will be designed for use in the military and civilian domain. For the Austrian Armed Forces, it constitutes another means to increase force protection for operations in Austria, as well as abroad.
“National project partners may also benefit since the project will most probably be eligible for funding from the European Defence Industrial Development Programme.”
EDA chief executive Jorge Domecq said: “CBRN SaaS will benefit from EDA’s extensive experience of delivering defence cooperation projects, especially the insights gained from the EDA CBRN Joint Investment Programme.
“CBRN agents and weapons are a source of great concern, effective surveillance is, therefore, a crucial capability. As endorsed by the EU’s Capability Development Plan, developing enhanced CBRN capabilities based on newly available technologies such as unmanned systems is a priority that will enhance Europe’s resilience and preparedness to deal with CBRN threats.”
