Call: Combined radar, communications, and electronic warfare functions based on European Active Electronically Scanned Arrays for military applications

Pilot Projects and Preparatory Actions

This Programme introduces new initiatives that might turn into standing EU funding programmes. A Pilot Project is an initiative of an experimental nature designed to test the feasibility of an action and its usefulness and lasts not more than two years. A Preparatory Action - normally the successor of a successful pilot project on the same matter - is designed to prepare new actions like EU policies, legislation, programmes etc. with funding for not more than three years.

The Programme focuses on the following overarching objectives:

Combined radar, communications, and electronic warfare functions based on European Active Electronically Scanned Arrays for military applications

Europe has a strong position in advanced military radiofrequency (RF) systems. Yet the risks are high that the Union becomes severely dependent on suppliers established in third countries. This not only limits the strategic autonomy of the Member States but also generates security-of-supply risks. End-user restrictions imposed by third countries already endanger the security-of-supply of essential electronic components of certain RF systems. To remove such important limitations, a research and technological development (R&T) action, potentially later on followed by further and/or development actions, needs to be initialised to design and build in Europe a multifunction RF system based on Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) technology for a broad range of applications, to become available for defence applications in several military domains within the next decade.