What we do BG

Support to Operations

A key mission of the European Defence Agency is to provide practical support to European civilian and military missions & operations launched under the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) of the European Union. This is facilitated by offering access to existing EDA projects & activities, and by providing contractual support to mission commanders.

The Agency’s mission to provide practical support to EU civilian and military missions and operations is done in two different ways: 

1. by offering access to existing EDA projects and activities which can be directly used by mission commanders, such as: 

  • the three helicopter initiatives (Helicopter Exercise Programme, Helicopter Tactics Course, Helicopter Tactics Instructors Course) which collectively aim to improve European helicopter capability for crisis management operations and to support preparation for deployment 
  • the Maritime Surveillance (MARSUR) network which improves maritime situational awareness during missions and operations. MARSUR was, for instance, implemented in the Rome OHQ for EUNAVFOR MED operation  
  • the GISMO project (a joint venture of EDA and the EU Satellite Centre) which developed the ‘GeohuB’ tool, which provides seamless access to geospatial information for EU missions and operations. GeohuB was successfully deployed in November 2017 at the Italian Operation Headquarters, Rome, in support of EU Naval Force Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR MED). 
  • a Human Resources (HR) management software tool which was developed by EDA to help the personnel branch of EU mission headquarters manage the in-processing and out-processing of personnel at all phases of a CSDP operation/mission 

2. by providing contractual support to mission commanders. Procurement of contracted solutions has become increasingly relevant for EU military operations not only to fill capability gaps in the force generation process, but also as a general planning support for ongoing operations. The Agency combines industry knowledge, in-house technical expertise and experience in procurement, which can support CSDP operations/missions and Member States in their procurement procedures and save scarce resources. Examples:

  • EDA’s SatCom Market can provide missions and operations with cost-efficient options to commercially source Satellite Communications (SatCom) as well as wider Communication and Information Systems (CIS) services through EDA which coordinates requirements and purchases the services from commercial providers; 

  • EDA’s Governmental Satellite Communications Pooling and Sharing Demonstration Project (GSC Demo)  can provide missions and operations with reliable, secure and cost-effective GOVSATCOM capabilities based on existing, pooled, governmental SATCOM resources provided by EDA Member States; 

  • EDA’s offer to provide in-theatre AIRMEDEVAC services to be used in the framework of national and/or international defence and/or security operations. It builds on the EU SatCom Market model to provide aero medical services through multiple contractors offering fixed and rotary wing services in Europe and Africa; 
  • EDA’s web-based Contractor Support to Operations (CSO) platform which offers to mission/operation commanders a pool of potential suppliers who can respond to the specific requirements of a mission. The Agency also offers long-term framework contracts which are ready to be used at short notice by missions and operations to outsource the provision of certain key capabilities to private companies.