Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
The European Defence Fund (EDF) is the Commission’s initiative to support collaborative defence research and development, and to foster an innovative and competitive defence industrial base.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
This topic is intended to lead to a step improvement in EU VTOL capability with a view to future EU/NATO rotorcraft programmes (EIS 2035/2040+). Moreover, developed technologies should also be used for upgrades of legacy platforms, where applicable.
Detailed Call Description
The importance of rotorcraft in military operations is widely recognised as one of the most important VTOL assets/systems. Military rotorcraft act like workhorses of the battlefield, performing a variety of missions such as armed reconnaissance, strike, combat, combat and ordinary search-and-rescue (SAR), MEDical EVACuation (MEDEVAC), CASualty EVACuation (CASEVAC), utility, air assault and close aerial support, all of which are critical to the success of military operations.
After decades of European involvement in counter-insurgency type of operations, recent conflicts have marked the return of high-intensity confrontations very close to European Union territory, recalling that although military helicopters are key assets, they require careful mission planning and operations to be efficient and survivable.
On the longer term, rotorcraft is foreseen to be even more critical as future combat theatres are likely to take place in congested urban environment, mostly in littoral regions, and to involve a wide range of long-range strike capabilities (artillery, short range ballistic missiles) combined with a shortened OODA loop made possible by the massive global deployment of networked C4ISR assets.
Current capability forecast assessments at European and NATO levels show that the helicopter fleets will have to be renewed as of 2035-2040. The main objective is therefore to provide the EU Member States and EDF Associated Countries with a European solution that meets the European market and military needs in the field of rotorcraft.
Proposals must address future technologies and rotorcraft architectures with a view to the launch of a new European collaborative capability development programme in the field of next generation rotorcraft by 2030.
Call Total Budget
Thematic Categories
- Justice - Security
- Other Thematic Category
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
Eligibility for Participation
- Central Government
- Legal Entities
- Other Beneficiaries
- Private Bodies
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- State-owned Enterprises
Eligibility For Participation Notes
In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:
- be legal entities (public or private bodies)
- be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
- EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs)
- non-EU countries:
- listed EEA countries (‘EDF associated countries’, see list of participating countries)
- have their executive management structure established in eligible countries
- must not be subject to control by a non-associated third country or non-associated third-country entity (unless they can provide guarantees – see Annex 2 – approved by the Member State or EDF associated country where they are established)
Consortium composition – Proposals must be submitted by:
minimum 3 independent applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities) from 3 different eligible countries.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Ministry of Defense
Address: 172-174 Strovolos Avenue, 2048 Strovolos, Nicosia
Telephone: 22 807500
Email: defence@mod.gov.cy
Website: https://mod.gov.cy/
Department of Research and Innovation
Telephones: 22 807755, 22 807754
Email: research.innovation@mod.gov.cy
EU Contact Point
For help related to this call, please contact: DEFIS-EDF-PROPOSALS@ec.europa.eu