European defence research

International collaboration in research and technology (R&T) is essential to the creation of the armament component of European defence.

Its aims are to share budgetary, scientific and industrial resources to optimise the achievements of each individual nations. It paves the way for commonality between future systems and complements developments in an industrial landscape that is becoming increasingly trans-national.

Such co-operation still represents only a small proportion of national activity (10 or 20%). Political will to increase this proportion significantly is generally shared by the nations. Experience shows however that progress is slow.

The majority of R&T collaboration is currently bilateral, and mostly involves three leading nations in the field, the United Kingdom, France and Germany.

Three other nations, Italy, Spain and Sweden, are associated with these three , and as signatories of a Letter of Intent (LoI), drew up in 2000 a treaty (Framework Agreement) aimed at improving their industrial defence co-operation. R&T is one of the topics of this agreement, which has led to the setting up of a specific authority, the group of research directors (GRD), in other words the six senior national officials in defence R&T. There are also moves to give more dynamism to co-operation. Activities aimed at future air combat systems (ETAP) are the first example of strengthened collaboration bringing in several partners with a view to developing ambitious technology demonstrators.

There are other multinational frameworks. The NATO R&T Board (RTB) enables studies to be carried out jointly among European and North American nations. The Western European Armament Group (WEAG), which links 19 nations, also carries out a range of R&T projects (under Euclid, Eurofinder, etc.).

Finally, mention should be made, outside the defence field, of initiatives by the European Commission (in particular the R&D Framework Plan). These represent a technological base from which defence industries can draw elements that they can adapt and bring together to solve the specific problems they are addressing. This in broad terms is the problem of “dual technologies” (dual-use, civil and military).

To summarise, in this context, DGA policy is based on the following guiding principles :

  To develop co-operation, especially European, with a view to improving collective technological capability, naturally at the cost of a certain degree of mutual interdependence;

  As far as the projects are concerned, to emphasise major technology demonstrators; to promote the creation of European technological capabilities;

  Wherever possible to benefit from “civil” technology skills and developments (termed “commercial”) by adapting them to meet the specific needs of defence.