Intelligent weaponry and ammunition systems

Topic description

Objective:

In the context of future armed conflicts, greater focus is likely to be placed on the precision, the effectiveness and the affordability of ammunition and missiles in order to increase the capacity to neutralise adversary forces while avoiding unintended casualties and collateral damages among friendly units and non-combatant third parties.

Research activities to develop for next generation of European intelligent ammunition is required to enhance Member States precision strike capabilities.

Specific objective

There is a request to extend the range of ground artillery, rockets and missiles, while increasing their precision. Currently, existing solutions to correct the course of gun launched ammunition are either ITAR or do not fully achieve the required precision. European related research efforts have been modest in the past years. A few concepts have matured to become commercialised products, though with limited performance.

This topic aims to pave the way for the development of an autonomous European state-of-the-art capability in the field of high precision weaponry, such as guided mortar and artillery ammunition (shells and rockets), missiles, and other munitions with loitering capabilities. Such systems should aim to increase precision in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-contested/denied environments, reduce dependency on non-EU satellite navigation, and improve terminal guidance and effects on targets at extended ranges, as well as providing more affordable solutions. The use of data fusion techniques and high accuracy Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems for Inertial Measurement Units (MEMS IMU) should be considered.

Proposals must address:

• Technologies for increasing ammunition precision guidance, navigation and control, particularly in GNSS-contested/denied environments.
• Technologies for improving terminal guidance of ammunition, in particular for engaging moving targets at speed and concealed targets.
• Technologies for maximising effects on targets at extended ranges, with the possibility of scaling effects, abort mission or re-targeting during flight.

In addition, proposals should address:

• High accuracy, MEMS IMU and data fusion techniques.
• Navigation solution based on GNSS should have Galileo PRS as main source of positioning and timing.
• Terminal guidance capabilities (e.g., based on Semi-active laser (SAL) or image guidance systems like Imaging infrared (IIR)).

Furthermore, proposals may address:

• Concepts for introducing guidance or course correction to legacy munitions by using existing interfaces, such as the fuze-well in artillery shells.
• Technologies for loitering capability.
• Technologies for collaborating/swarm with other munition capability.

AI algorithms applied to guidance, navigation and control, even to moving targets and target detection.

Types of activities

The following table lists the types of activities which are eligible for this topic, and whether they are mandatory or optional (see Article 10(3) EDF Regulation):

Accordingly, the proposals must cover at least the following tasks as part of mandatory activities:

• Generating and Integrating knowledge:
  • Perform a threat assessment, taking into account the modern battlefield, lessons learned from current peer-to-peer conflicts, and deployed or about to be deployed advanced technologies.
  • Develop research activities for maturing identified technologies;
• Studies:
  • Feasibility studies concerning proposed technologies.
• Design:
  • Develop technologies suite to TRL 6.
  • Preliminary definition and design of the proposed components and technologies.
  • Detailed definition of the proposed components and technologies.

The proposals should substantiate synergies and complementarities with foreseen, ongoing, or completed activities in the field of ammunitions, notably those described in the context of previous EDF calls for proposals (e.g., EDF-2023-DA-GROUND-IFS related to Indirect fire support) and its precursor programmes (e.g., EDIDP-NGPSC-PGA-2020 related to A Platform for long range indirect fire support capabilities and EDIDP-NGPSC-LRIF-2020 related to Programmable and guided ammunition).

Functional requirements

The proposed product and technologies should meet the following functional requirements:

• Defeat semi-hard and hard targets, via the delivery of a heavy payload, with the possibility to tune the effect according to the mission;
• Terminal precision below 10 meters (CEP50), proven either by system in the loop simulation or live firing;
• Integrated target detection and terminal guidance capability, be based on Semi-active laser (SAL) and/or Imaging infrared (IIR), other imagery systems or any other solutions, such as enabling technologies for Multi-Mode seeker systems (e.g., EO, IR, RF). Such systems should be effective against both moving and stationary targets;
• Flight-guided by GNSS and/or inertial measurement unit and/or any other cost-effective means. If GNSS guidance, the system should be compatible with both GPS and Galileo;
• Resistance to GNSS jamming and spoofing and operable in GNSS contested environments;
• Concepts for mortars and artillery ammunition should prove gun-firing capability;
• Concepts for 155 mm artillery ammunition should be compliant with the Artillery JB MoU and be tested in a proven 155 mm 52-calibre artillery gun;
• The ammunition should be programmable before firing, with minimum interference with the weapon system;
• The setting of the artillery fuze should be able to be conducted at least through inductive settings according to commonly applicable standards in order to allow its use in platforms with embedded inductive fuze systems;
• In-flight re-targeting capability (including mission change and/or a mission abort when needed) should be assessed for the different categories of ammunition;
• Resilient communications to ensure a human-in-the-loop capability (avoiding target control and/or designation by unauthorised actions) in case the concept is not based on a fire-and-forget approach. The system should be Cyber resilient;
• Performances should be achieved without modifying the requirement of existing European launchers;
• In case of a concept based on course-correction fuze, it should be aimed at replacing traditional fuzes on standard artillery ammunition with a combined fusing and guidance kit and preferably shallow fuze-well compatibility;
• Ammunition safety of use should be as high as possible, as per the best standards related to life duration and insensitiveness to aggressions. Compliance with NATO STANAG 4439 (related to insensitive munition) and STANAG 4187 (related to safety) should be ensured as far as possible;
• Open architecture and modularity should be applied on smart guided ammunition families, allowing different software versions (algorithms / libraries) to be loaded in the same hardware version;
• ITAR-free in all components. All components of the concept for later integrative components (SAD, additional Ignition chains, et.al.) should also be investigated and ITAR-free and fulfil European requirements (REACH).

The outcome should contribute to:

• 2023 EU CDP on Land Based Precision Engagement;
• High Precision effects and minimum collateral damage for engaging selected difficult-to-identify/acquire targets;
• Engage critical and time sensitive areas and point targets including threat air defence, missile launchers, tactical operation centres and assembly areas;
• European tangible capabilities in intelligent weaponry and ammunition systems for different missions;
• EU mastery of technological building blocks and strategic autonomy on smart ammunition;
• Ensure EU capability in smart guided/precision ammunition for different applications.