EDA-EC Conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) recommends a High Level Group

The European Defence Agency (EDA) and the European Commission (EC) co-organised today a Conference dedicated to Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).

Over 450 senior government officials and industry representatives gathered to discuss the potential of UAS for European users, their economic, technological and industrial impact, as well as a common European way forward.

Presentations by senior representatives of European stakeholders’ groups outlined the dual use nature of UAS, both for defence and civilian security purposes. Financial savings and environmental benefits through reduced fuel consumption as well as CO2 emissions were highlighted, in addition to the multiple possibilities UAS already offer in reducing the risk to human life in high risk missions.

This sector opens a promising chapter for the aerospace domain and for the aviation industry in Europe, where EDA and EC already have joined forces to promote innovation and new opportunities for a wide range of businesses and SMEs.

Military and civil UAS markets are highly interdependent, with technology developments inevitably driving both. The Commission and the European Defence Agency are committed at the European level, to closely observe, support and contribute to the evolution of UAS technologies for dual-use purposes. To underline this commitment, EDA’s Chief Executive, Alexander Weis, announced ongoing work under the so called “European Framework Cooperation”, a pragmatic approach by the European Commission, the European Defence Agency and the European Space Agency to synchronise systematically Research and Technology investment in their respective frameworks.

“The tasking given by the EDA’s Steering Board in Ministers of Defence formation, in April this year, is to prepare and propose a Joint Investment programme on Unmanned Aircraft Systems for political launch in autumn this year. The target is clear; we want to address the remaining technological challenges for UAS Air Traffic Insertion as well as exploitation of their capabilities to support seamless flying of UAS in Europe by 2015”, said Alexander Weis, EDA Chief Executive.

Several senior officials called for a joint European approach to develop common Unmanned Aircraft System capabilities in order to maximise efficiency in public spending and to ensure that alternative European platforms are available within the coming years.

The Conference recommended the establishment of a High Level Group on UAS, providing a discussion platform to European Stakeholder communities in order to ensure coherence whilst improving sustainability and competiveness, notably building on input and ongoing initiatives from research areas such as the “European Framework Cooperation”.

Underlining that “Europe’s progress will be judged not on the basis of policy statements but by concrete measures and investment”, Alexander Weis called for an “open discussion among all stakeholder communities to prevent duplication of effort, ineffectiveness and a fragmented market”. “This dialogue will be invigorated today but will need to be continued on a day by day basis to allow concrete measures on European level. We believe that this process would be facilitated by the creation of a High Level Group on Unmanned Aircraft Systems, bringing together all relevant actors in Europe”, he added.

Source: European Defence Agency