CBRNeWORLD
Dr John Hart of SIPRI* considers the CBRNE relevance of
European strategic concepts and development projects in the field of autonomous/semi-autonomous platforms
Ghost rider requesting a flyby
E
uropean level strategic concepts and projects in the field of autonomous and semi-
autonomous platform technologies are occurring within the context of wider scientific and technological (S&T) developments in the civil and defence sectors, as well as for nuclear, biological and chemical weapons arms control verification. For example, guidance, navigation and control (GNC) algorithms may provide such technologies with a degree of autonomy and data fusion that affects arms control procedures, including for inspection team safety and support appropriate, more secure data collection of verification relevance. In addition, the recent work of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the body that implements the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), in Iraq, Libya and Syria offers a basis for possible arms control related applications in armed conflict zones.
European level developments In presenting the European Defence Action Plan (EDAP) on 30 November 2016 European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker stated: “To guarantee our collective security, we must invest in the common development of technologies and equipment of strategic importance - from land, air, sea and space capabilities to cyber security. It requires more cooperation between member states and greater pooling of national resources. If Europe does not take care of its own security, nobody else will do it for us. A strong, competitive and innovative defence industrial base is what will give us strategic autonomy.” France and Germany have reaffirmed commitments for
strengthening a European level security and defence capability, including by issuing a joint 2016 proposal for the establishment of an EU military headquarters. Although Brexit adds further uncertainty to the direction and form of European level security and defence, the UK remains at the core of European defence capabilities and it is an EDAP participant.
European level security and defence programmes and objectives The 2009 Treaty of Lisbon envisions permanent structured cooperation in defence (PSCD). More specifically, work carried out within the framework of the capability development mechanism (CDM) shall not prejudice the undertakings by EU member states towards Nato.1
promoting civil defence synergies on operational planning and the conduct of civilian or military missions and operations.3
Such planning also has
potential linkages with European level counter terrorism planning. European level funding of defence
research under Horizon 2020 for dual use research comprises 16 areas worth €164m. In 2016 €20m of this was earmarked for critical infrastructure protection; €113.25m for security; and €29 million for the digital security focus area. One of the 16 areas is the CBRN cluster.4 While the EDAP does not directly
address CBRNE threats, it does address potentially relevant autonomous and semi-autonomous security and defence research and applications.5
The EDAP The overarching strategic
objectives for such cooperation within the current five year budget cycle (Horizon 2020) include: operationalising permanent structured cooperation, including through the establishment of a European army, implementation of an EDAP, and implementation of an EU defence pilot project. A military planning and conduct
capability (MPCC) is currently being established within the EU military staff in Brussels with responsibility for strategic level operational planning and conduct of non-executive military missions under the political control and strategic guidance of the political and security committee (PSC or COPS).2 The MPCC will initially comprise eight or nine staff and is sometimes referred to as the EU military headquarters, a term the British government declines to use. The MPCC is the counterpart of the civilian planning conduct capacity (CPCC). The two units are tasked with
establishes a European defence fund (EDF). It also establishes a web based research window to fund collaborative research in innovative defence technologies such as electronics, metamaterials, encrypted software and robotics. The commission has already proposed €25m for defence research as part of the 2017 EU budget,6
and expects
that this allocation could grow to €90m until 2020. Under the post 2020 EU multi-annual financial framework, the commission intends to propose a dedicated defence research programme totalling approximately €500m a year. The EDAP also establishes a web
based capability window as a financial tool that permits participating EU member states to purchase certain assets jointly so as to reduce costs. The capabilities (eg, for drone technology) would be agreed by the member states, who would own the technology and equipment. The EU estimates that this window can eventually assist
www.cbrneworld.com CBRNe Convergence, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indiana, USA, 6 - 8 Nov 2017
www.cbrneworld.com/convergence2017
June 2017 CBRNe WORLD
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