GPS World

Tag: European defense

  • Orolia chosen for GEODE, Galileo PRS project for European defense

    Orolia chosen for GEODE, Galileo PRS project for European defense

    Galileo PRS encrypted signal integrated for first time

    Orolia, through its France-based entity Orolia Systèmes & Solutions (O2S), has been selected for the GEODE project to develop European standardized and sovereign Galileo PRS positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) receiver capabilities for military applications.

    The GEODE (Galileo for EU Defence) program aims at promoting the competitiveness and innovation of the Defense PNT industry in the European Union.

    The GEODE consortium will support the prototyping, testing and qualifying of military PNT technologies and resources such as PRS security modules, PRS receivers, GPS/Galileo PRS compatible Controlled Radiation Pattern Antennas (CRPA), and the development of a European PNT test and qualification facility.

    As part of this consortium, Orolia brings its proven track record of developing Galileo-based applications and integrating custom signals for commercial and defense critical infrastructure in the GEARS program, and will now focus on the military use of the PRS signal by leading the critical timing and synchronization applications in the GEODE program.

    This new PRS support and qualification infrastructure will ensure that the necessary security resources are in place for operational testing, and PNT testing profiles will be defined for naval, land and remotely piloted aircraft platforms.

    The applications targeted for these new technologies and capabilities include tactical drones, military satellite and space technologies, unmanned ground vehicles, high precision missile systems, next-gen naval platforms, airborne electronic warfare solutions, resilient networks, cyber situational awareness, and the latest active stealth technologies.

    This project will receive about €44M funding from the European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP) under grant agreement No EDIDP-PNTSCC-2019-039-GEODE.

    “We are proud to support the development of future resilient military technologies that will increase safety and security in the European Union,” said Orolia CEO Jean-Yves Courtois. “As the world leader in resilient PNT, Orolia is uniquely positioned to offer the most advanced technologies for timing, synchronization, and GNSS testing and simulation, including encrypted GPS and Galileo signals.”

    Orolia Systèmes et Solutions (O2S). In 2019, Orolia launched Orolia Systèmes and Solutions (O2S), a France-based entity dedicated to providing advanced resilient Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) solutions and custom engineering services to French and EU Defense organizations.

    Photo: US Army
    Photo: U.S. Army
  • GMV to help develop unmanned ground vehicle for European defense

    GMV to help develop unmanned ground vehicle for European defense

    GMV will take charge of the command and control and C4ISR interoperability system under the Integrated Modular Unmanned Ground System (iMUGS).

    The European Commission’s European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP) has assigned 30.6 million euros to the iMUGS project for the development of an unmanned ground system. This makes it one of the European Commission’s biggest defense investments to date.

    The Integrated Modular Unmanned Ground System (iMUGS) project will be carried out by a consortium primed by Milrem Robotics, with another 11 high-tech defense firms, including the technology multinational GMV.

    The common development of this vehicle will build from Milrem Robotics’s previous program called THEMis, with the addition of various mission systems and autonomy solutions.

    The aim is to develop a valid scalable architecture applicable to both manned and unmanned vehicles, with the idea of standardizing Europe’s ground and air systems and its command-and-control and communications systems, sensors, payloads and autonomy algorithms.

    The system will consist of a robust and modular ground vehicle fitted with an electronic-warfare-resistant command, control and communications system and secure autonomous mobility software to allow the operator to control many different ground and air platforms securely and simultaneously.

    iMUGS will include several components:

    • system cybersecurity
    • autonomous mobility
    • advanced communications systems and further driving-related developments
    • manned-unmanned teaming (MUT) including swarms.

    iMUGS will enable European countries to use unmanned vehicles with logistics and ISR functions, trimming the load and increasing troop security.

    With this joint initiative, the European Defence Fund meets member states’ requirements and draws on the skills of Europe’s industry to boost defense capabilities and strategic autonomy.

    European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP)

    The European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP) is the first initiative of the European Union’s 2019 and 2020 defense research window of capabilities. Announced on June 7, 2017, EDIDP can be considered the “preparatory action” of defense research to prove the feasibility of a joint defense-capability development and procurement program.

    EDIDP’s aim is to drive the European Union’s strategic autonomy and cooperation between member states, making it possible for armed forces to carry out high level operations, with special attention to intelligence, secure communications and cybernetics.

    Under the EDIDP 2019-2020 program, GMV is participating in the iMUGS, GEODE, ESC2 and PANDORA projects.

    GMV‘s iMUGS role

    GMV will be coordinator of the command and control and C4ISR interoperability subproject. GMV is bringing to the table experience in C2 ground systems and JISR (joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance interoperability).

    The overall aim is to develop the C2ISR tactical component for planning and carrying out joint manned and unmanned systems operations, using and distributing sensor data from the unmanned ground vehicle.

    JISR interoperability synchronizes and integrates the planning and operation of all information-obtaining capacities with operation and processing capacities, sending on the resulting information to the assigned person at the right time in the right form and in direct support of present and future operations.

    The Boxer Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (MIV) is used by many allied forces. (Photo: UK Ministry of Defence
    The Boxer Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (MIV) is used by many allied forces. (Photo: U.K. Ministry of Defence)

    The C2 command and control subsystem will be fitted in a Boxer 8 x 8 vehicle for manned-unmanned teaming (MUT) coordination tests.

    GMV’s participation in iMUGS is based on its experience in C2 ground systems, dismounted soldier C2 systems and JISR interoperability, areas where GMV is one of the leading companies in Europe. GMV is a supplier of Artillery and Dismounted Soldier Command and Control Systems for the Spanish MoD.

    Since 2016 it has been responsible for maintenance and upgrading of the EUCCIS C2 system of the European External Action Service (EEAS).