Autonomous systems (AS) are increasingly a feature of today’s world, transforming societies and reshaping industries. In a challenging and rapidly evolving international environment, where Europe and its Member States must maintain their technological edge to bolster defence capabilities, advances in technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), networked systems-of-systems, renewable energy, microelectronics, advanced computing, human-machine interfaces, or big data, allow the development of systems with greater autonomy, providing advantages to those who can access and deploy them.
There is also significant evidence that autonomy delivers substantial military value Recognizing this, the European Defence Agency (EDA) has been actively supporting EU Member States in enhancing their autonomous systems capabilities over the past few years. This support spans multiple levels, including:
- Prioritization: Through the Capability Development Plan (CDP), Overarching Strategic Research Agenda (OSRA), Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD), and Key Strategic Activities (KSA), EDA has prioritized AS-related capabilities and technologies.
- Projects: EDA has facilitated dozens of studies and projects focused on systems, subsystems, and component levels, advancing the development of autonomous systems.
- Coordination: The recently developed Action Plan on Autonomous Systems (APAS) serves as a strategic initiative to coordinate and enhance these efforts.
To increase coherence across all its AS-related initiatives, the EDA's APAS aims to support Member States to speed up the development of highly autonomous, effective, efficient, and reliable autonomous systems for Land, Air, Maritime, and cross-domain operations. This strategic document follows a holistic approach, ensuring complementarity between EU programs and entities, including the European Commission, to maximize investment efficiency and the effectiveness of results for the autonomous systems of the future. Additionally, it promotes more streamlined and rapid identification of relevant technologies, facilitating their development and transition into military capabilities. By reducing the risk of duplication and encouraging the integration of civil industry research and innovation into EU defence projects, APAS seeks to foster cross-fertilization between civil and defence industries, ultimately strengthening Europe’s defence capabilities.
The APAS encompasses a wide range of activities, including the discovery, development, and integration of technology; concept development and experimentation (CD&E); testing, validation, and verification; certification; standardization; taxonomy; regulation; and ethical considerations.