Collaborative air combat

The European Defence Fund (EDF-2025-DA-AIR-CAC) call for proposals is focused on advancing collaborative air combat capabilities among EU Member States and EDF Associated Countries. The initiative aims to enhance interoperability and standardization in air combat systems, including both manned and unmanned platforms, while addressing challenges posed by existing diverse air force systems.

Eligible applicants are consortia consisting of at least three independent legal entities from different EU Member States or Norway, which is an EDF Associated Country. The funding type is structured as actual cost grants that reimburse eligible expenses incurred during project implementation. The total budget for the call is set at €49 million, with individual project funding amounts varying based on proposal quality and scope.

The proposal process is characterized by a single-stage submission mechanism, with a deadline for applications on October 16, 2025. Projects must focus on development actions such as prototyping, testing, and qualification, excluding basic research activities. Key areas of focus for proposals include the development of interoperability standards, scalable edge computing, and specific AI technologies designed for military applications.

Applicants are required to provide co-financing contributions, typically comprising 20% to 80% of the total project costs, although specific co-funding parameters will depend on the grant agreement. The call encourages innovative solutions that address both current and future interoperability needs, particularly concerning NATO collaborations.

Eligible activities under this program include feasibility studies, design, prototyping, and testing, all aimed at developing collaborative air combat technologies relevant to real-world scenarios. Proposals are expected to yield medium-term results in standardized mission management, integrating both manned and unmanned resources while considering evolving mission frameworks.

This call represents an essential step toward creating a more integrated and technologically advanced defense structure within the EU, aiming to secure the strategic autonomy of European defense capabilities in an increasingly complex global environment.

This is a call for proposals under the European Defence Fund (EDF) focusing on Collaborative Air Combat (EDF-2025-DA-AIR-CAC). The call aims to develop an EU perspective for harmonizing, standardizing, and sharing processes and tools among EU Member States and EDF Associated Countries to efficiently operate joint air combat capabilities. This includes future air combat systems, manned and unmanned platforms, legacy platforms, and their evolution, incorporating sensors and effectors.

The call seeks to address the challenge of interoperability among the diverse air force systems of EU Member States and EDF Associated Countries, particularly with the introduction of unmanned systems. It emphasizes deeper networking through a new generation of tactical data links.

The specific objectives include developing key technologies and capability building blocks for collaborative air combat, such as:

Service-oriented architecture for common standard and functional interfaces.
Interoperability standards for IT systems, including communication, dissemination, service sharing, and cyber security, with a common data format reference.
Scalable edge computing for enhanced mission management functions.
Dedicated Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies for flight certification, airworthiness standardisation, and trustworthy command and control of manned and unmanned systems.
Addressing existing and future open standards like ECOA and IMA to harmonize software footprints.

Proposals should investigate solutions for standardized collaborative air combat, supported by demonstrations in challenging environments. They should aim for medium-term results in standardized collaborative mission management, consider both manned and unmanned assets, and account for the evolution of mission systems with standardized interfaces and harmonized AI processes. Interoperability with NATO and non-EU systems is also crucial. Potential implementations on existing platforms undergoing major upgrades are also considered.

The following types of activities are eligible, with specific mandatory and optional designations:

Activities that aim to increase interoperability and resilience (integrating knowledge) Yes (optional)
Studies, such as feasibility studies Yes (mandatory)
Design of a defence product, tangible or intangible component or technology Yes (mandatory)
System prototyping Yes (optional)
Testing Yes (optional)
Qualification Yes (optional)
Certification Yes (optional)
Development of technologies or assets increasing efficiency across the life cycle Yes (optional)

Proposals must include:

Analysis of existing and emerging standards applicable to air combat.
Standardization recommendations for AI-based components.
Prototyping of AI toolkits and libraries.
Development of EU sovereign tools and libraries.
Further development of standards for collaborative mission management and sensor collaboration.
Design of communications architecture and functional interfaces.
Design of functional and physical interfaces for future effectors.
Design of a tool for software development and standardization of hardware interfaces.
Demonstration of implementation references of standards.
Definition and demonstration of an Integration and Validation approach.

Synergies and complementarity with activities described in call topic EDF-2021-AIR-D-CAC are required.

The proposed products and technologies must ensure interoperability of heterogeneous air systems, including coalition situations with EU, EDF Associated Countries, and NATO forces, and be applicable for designing mission systems for next-generation combat assets and upgrades of legacy systems.

The call document and annexes include:

Call document
Standard application form (EDF)
Detailed budget table (EDF DA)
Participant information (EDF)
List of infrastructure, facilities, assets and resources (EDF)
Cofinancing declaration (EDF DA, DA LS AND ASAP)
Actual indirect cost methodology declaration (EDF)
Harmonised capability declaration (EDF DA AND DA LS)
Declaration on procurement intent and common specifications (EDF DA AND DA LS)
Ownership control declaration
PRS declaration (EDF)
Model Grant Agreements (MGA) EDF, ASAP and EDIRPA MGA
EDF Annual Work Programme
EDF Regulation 2021/697
EDF Programme Security Instruction (PSI)
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
EU Grants AGA Annotated Model Grant Agreement
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual
Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions
Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement

The budget for EDF-2025-DA-AIR-CAC is 49,000,000 EUR, and the call follows a single-stage submission process. The opening date is 18 February 2025, and the deadline is 16 October 2025. There are 30 partner search announcements available.

This European Defence Fund (EDF) call is essentially a funding opportunity for EU Member States and EDF Associated Countries to collaborate on advancing air combat capabilities. It recognizes that current air forces are diverse and need better ways to work together, especially with the introduction of new technologies like unmanned systems and AI. The goal is to create common standards, share tools, and develop new technologies that will allow different air combat systems, whether they are old or new, manned or unmanned, to operate seamlessly together. This includes improving communication, data sharing, and the use of AI in air combat. The call encourages projects that not only study and design these improvements but also demonstrate them in realistic scenarios. By fostering this collaboration, the EU aims to strengthen its defence capabilities, promote technological sovereignty, and ensure that its air forces can operate effectively with each other and with allies like NATO.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated but can be inferred to include entities from EU Member States and EDF Associated Countries. Given the nature of the European Defence Fund, eligible applicants are likely to include a mix of entities such as SMEs, large enterprises, research institutes, universities, and other organizations involved in the defense sector.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically Development Actions implemented via actual cost grants (EDF-2025-DA). The type of Model Grant Agreement (MGA) is EDF Action Grant Budget-Based [EDF-AG].

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity appears to require a consortium, as it emphasizes collaboration between EU Member States and EDF Associated Countries.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and EDF Associated Countries.

Target Sector: The target sector is defense, specifically focusing on air combat capabilities, interoperability, AI technologies for military use, IT systems, edge computing, sensors, effectors, and communication architecture.

Mentioned Countries: EU Member States, EDF Associated Countries, NATO countries, Norway, Ukraine.

Project Stage: The project stage spans from studies and design to system prototyping, testing, qualification, and development, indicating a focus on projects ranging from development to demonstration.

Funding Amount: The budget varies by topic, with specific topics and their respective budgets listed. For example, EDF-2025-DA-AIR-CAC has a budget of €49,000,000, EDF-2025-DA-AIR-EPE has a budget of €54,000,000, and so on.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant to support eligible activities.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding is required, as indicated by the "Cofinancing declaration (EDF DA, DA LS AND ASAP)" document listed under "Call document and annexes."

Summary:

This European Defence Fund (EDF) call focuses on Collaborative Air Combat (EDF-2025-DA-AIR-CAC) and aims to enhance the interoperability and standardization of air combat systems among EU Member States and EDF Associated Countries. The primary objective is to develop an EU perspective for joint air combat capabilities, incorporating future air combat systems, manned and unmanned platforms, legacy systems, sensors, and effectors. The call encourages proposals that investigate solutions for standardized collaborative air combat, emphasizing demonstrations in contested environments. Key areas of focus include service-oriented architecture, interoperability standards for IT systems, scalable edge computing, and dedicated Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. Eligible activities range from studies and design to system prototyping, testing, qualification, and development. The call is open to consortia of entities from EU Member States and EDF Associated Countries, with a budget of 49,000,000 EUR for the EDF-2025-DA-AIR-CAC topic. The submission deadline is October 16, 2025. Applicants are required to submit a co-financing declaration, indicating that co-funding is necessary. This initiative seeks to foster a shared consolidated EU perspective for air collaborative warfare, promote common EU standards interoperable with NATO, and structure an EU ecosystem to support AI technology sovereignty for military usages.