Beyond the Board: Early Engagement Means Faster Prototyping for Defense Programs
Defense Speak Interpreted: The Autonomous Plane Battle—Skyborg Vs. Loyal Wingman
American Made Advocacy: Congress Back from Break With Work To Do
Airbus Launches European Defence Fund R&D Projects
February 2, 2023 | AirbusEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Airbus has launched two defence research and development projects that it is coordinating as part of the 2021 European Defence Fund (EDF). In July 2022, the European Commission selected, among others, eight collaborative projects that Airbus is part of, covering different innovative technology areas. The EDF promotes cooperation among European companies and research institutes of different sizes and geographical origin in the EU, strengthening the resiliency and strategic autonomy of Europe.
Among the 61 collaborative defence R&T and R&D projects that were selected and funded with €1.2 billion, Airbus Defence and Space is coordinating the European Defence Operational Collaborative Cloud (EDOCC) project, while Airbus Helicopters is coordinating the EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT). The contracts for these projects were signed in December 2022.
EDOCC will create a virtual platform to increase the interoperability, efficiency and resiliency of military operations, which will strengthen collaborative services on the battlefield. The project will study, design and conceptually validate the virtual platform and develop the first version of a services catalogue while identifying appropriate standards and technologies for high performance and interoperability.
ENGRT will focus on analyzing and understanding the needs of European armed forces for rotorcraft operations beyond 2030. The project's partners will study military rotorcraft concept of operations and define key technologies needed for future military rotorcraft. Alternative rotorcraft concepts and architectures will be explored. This project will pave the way for the next generation of military rotorcraft in Europe.
Airbus is also a partner in six further multinational EDF projects and will contribute with its expertise on the following areas of research and development: Collaborative Air Combat Standardisation; Enhanced Cockpit; European Protected Waveform for SatCom; Cyber Threat Intelligence; Advanced Radar Technologies; and Advanced Radio Frequency components.
The European Defence Fund’s target is to allocate €8 billion until 2027.
Share on:
Testimonial
"Our marketing partnership with I-Connect007 is already delivering. Just a day after our press release went live, we received a direct inquiry about our updated products!"
Rachael Temple - AlltematedSuggested Items
Saab, the Swedish Armed Forces Extend Gripen Maintenance Contract
10/13/2025 | SaabSaab and the Swedish Armed Forces have extended an existing contract and Saab has received an order for support- and maintenance services for Gripen C/D and E. The order value is approximately SEK 4 billion and deliveries will take place 2026 to 2027.
RTX Unveils new APG-82(V)X Radar Enhanced with Gallium Nitride
09/25/2025 | RTXRaytheon, an RTX business, has unveiled the latest iteration of its combat-proven APG-82 radar, the APG-82(V)X. The new radar variant incorporates cutting-edge gallium nitride (GaN) technology to enhance the radar's effectiveness, delivering increased range, advanced air-to-air, air-to-ground and electronic warfare capabilities.
U.S. Army Awards $13M IDIQ Contract to Element U.S. Space & Defense
09/11/2025 | BUSINESS WIREElement U.S. Space & Defense, a trusted leader in advanced testing and engineering services, has been awarded a multi-year indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract valued at $13,021,816 from United States Army Contracting Command - Aberdeen Proving Ground (ACC-APG).
New Frontier Aerospace and Air Force Institute of Technology Sign CRADA to Advance Hypersonic VTOL Aircraft
08/05/2025 | PR NewswireNew Frontier Aerospace (NFA) is excited to announce a Collaborative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) aimed at advancing an innovative rocket-powered hypersonic Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) aircraft.
L3Harris, ELT Group to Establish Multi-Sensor Test Facility in Italy
07/28/2025 | L3Harris TechnologiesL3Harris Technologies has partnered with ELT Group, the Italian global leader in electromagnetic spectrum operations, to establish a multi-sensor test facility for commercial, military and government programs.