Technologies for counter-battery capabilities

The European Defence Fund (EDF) has issued a call for proposals titled "EDF-2025-RA-GROUND-CBC," focusing on research actions aimed at enhancing counter-battery capabilities. This initiative seeks to develop technologies that neutralize enemy artillery, ensuring the operational capacity and survival of armed forces within EU Member States and EDF Associated Countries. The call emphasizes the importance of collaborative projects, mandating that proposals come from consortia consisting of at least three independent entities from three different EU Member States or Norway.

The funding type for this initiative is actual costs grants, with a total indicative budget of €28 million allocated specifically for this topic, part of a larger €182 million call. The goal is to explore and mature technologies that can effectively detect, identify, and neutralize enemy artillery systems, particularly in relation to the challenges presented by mobile field artillery. This encompasses developing both active and passive sensor technologies, including acoustic, seismic, optical, radar, and electronic warfare systems, as well as the examination of carrier systems for these sensors.

Eligible applicants include legal entities involved in defense research and technology within the EU and Norway. The project stage is focused on research actions, explicitly excluding prototyping or testing phases. Applicants must submit proposals through a single-stage open call process, with deadlines set for 16 October 2025. While the success rates are not quantified, the competitive nature of the call suggests a low chance of funding as only one proposal may be selected for funding.

The call does not stipulate explicit co-funding requirements but typically grants cover 100% of eligible costs. The objective encompasses enhancing the industry’s ability to produce competitive counter-battery systems, fostering developments that can operate under contested environments, and emphasizing interoperability among defense technologies.

Overall, this funding opportunity aims to bolster the EU's defense capabilities by supporting innovative research that addresses the critical need for effective counter-battery systems under various operational conditions. Proposals must detail how they will facilitate the timely detection and neutralization of enemy artillery, ensuring compliance with the outlined technological requirements and objectives. The elaborate guidelines and documents necessary for the application can be found on the Funding & Tenders Portal, facilitating access and submission processes for interested parties.

This is a call for proposals under the European Defence Fund (EDF) for research actions aimed at developing technologies for counter-battery capabilities. The call, titled "Technologies for counter-battery capabilities" with topic ID EDF-2025-RA-GROUND-CBC, seeks to mature technologies to neutralize enemy artillery, ensuring the survival and operational capacity of EU member state and EDF associated country forces.

The main objective is to explore and mature technologies required to destroy or neutralize all enemies’ artillery potential, thereby ensuring the survival of own forces and safeguarding their operational capacity. The specific objective is to address the challenges posed by mobile field artillery and the need to detect and identify critical components of enemy artillery systems in various postures. The research should focus on counter-battery capabilities, including detecting, locating, identifying, and communicating observations. It also includes the study of detecting, locating, and identifying other enemy capabilities like HQs, SHORAD, HIMAD, EW, FARP, and logistics.

The scope of the proposals must include research on new and innovative technologies for counter-battery capability, adaptation of existing technologies for detection, location, identification, and communication, research on passive and active sensor portfolios (acoustic, seismic, optical, optronics, radar, ESM), research on carrier systems for sensors (UxVs, balloons, vehicles, stationary platforms), and research on new deployment mechanisms. The proposed technological solutions should balance cost and performance and may address other targets in tactical and operational depth.

Eligible activities include those that create and improve knowledge, increase interoperability and resilience, and studies such as feasibility studies. Specifically, activities that aim to create, underpin and improve knowledge, products and technologies, including disruptive technologies, which can achieve significant effects in the area of defence (generating knowledge) are eligible and mandatory. Activities that aim to increase interoperability and resilience, including secured production and exchange of data, to master critical defence technologies, to strengthen the security of supply or to enable the effective exploitation of results for defence products and technologies (integrating knowledge) are also eligible and mandatory. Studies, such as feasibility studies to explore the feasibility of new or upgraded products, technologies, processes, services and solutions are eligible and mandatory. Design of a defence product, tangible or intangible component or technology as well as the definition of the technical specifications on which such design has been developed, including partial tests for risk reduction in an industrial or representative environment is eligible but optional. System prototyping, testing, qualification, certification, and development of technologies or assets increasing efficiency across the life cycle of defence products and technologies are not eligible.

Mandatory activities include generating knowledge by creating overviews of current and outdated methods and different scenarios, integrating knowledge by assessing the potential of current sensors, and conducting studies on sensor integration, deployment mechanisms, acoustic-seismic sensors, optical-optronics sensors, radio frequency sensors, exploitation of illuminators of opportunity, and GNSS and alternative positioning technologies. Optional activities include preliminary design studies of automated systems, target identification systems, and sensors for exploiting illuminators of opportunity.

The proposed technologies should enable timely detection, location, and identification of indirect enemy effectors, operate at a minimum range of 200 km, function in relevant climate zones and GNSS-denied areas, determine own position with a SEP below 10 meters, determine enemy firing positions with a SEP below 30 meters, operate in contested EW environments, be robust against jamming, spoofing, and EMP, have a low energetic signature, identify various projectiles, and be compatible with relevant communication and information systems. Desirable functional requirements include the ability to track detected targets, identify UAVs by acoustic signatures, and a desired range of up to 500 km.

The call opened on 18 February 2025, and the deadline for submission is 16 October 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time. The total budget for this topic is 20,000,000 EUR.

The call document and annexes include the call document (available shortly), standard application form, detailed budget table, participant information, list of infrastructure, assets and resources, actual indirect cost methodology declaration, ownership control declaration, PRS declaration, model grant agreements, EDF annual work programme, EDF regulation, EDF programme security instruction, EU financial regulation, rules for legal entity validation, and various online manuals and statements.

To submit a proposal, applicants must access the Electronic Submission Service through the Funding & Tenders Portal. Help and support are available through the DEFIS-EDF-PROPOSALS email address, EDF Info-days, the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, the IT Helpdesk, and the Online Manual.

In summary, this EDF call seeks to fund research and development of advanced technologies for counter-battery systems, aiming to enhance the EU's defense capabilities by improving the detection, location, and neutralization of enemy artillery. It encourages proposals that balance cost-effectiveness with high performance, explore innovative sensor technologies and deployment mechanisms, and contribute to the EU's strategic autonomy in defense. The call is structured to support activities ranging from basic research and feasibility studies to preliminary design, with a focus on technologies that can be rapidly adapted and deployed by EU member states and associated countries.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the context, they likely include entities from EU Member States and EDF Associated Countries. These could encompass a range of organizations such as research institutions, universities, SMEs, large enterprises, and other relevant entities involved in defense research and technology. The call is specifically targeted towards entities capable of contributing to the development and maturity of innovative technologies for counter-battery systems.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically implemented via actual cost grants (EDF-2025-RA) under the EDF (European Defence Fund). The Type of MGA (Model Grant Agreement) is EDF Action Grant Budget-Based [EDF-AG].

Consortium Requirement: While not explicitly stated, the call encourages collaborative projects, implying that a consortium of multiple applicants is preferred or potentially required. The partner search announcements and the nature of the research suggest that bringing together diverse expertise is beneficial.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and EDF Associated Countries. The call aims to benefit the armies of these countries and consolidate the offer of EU competitive solutions for the global market, reducing dependencies on non-EU suppliers.

Target Sector: The primary target sector is defense, specifically focusing on counter-battery capabilities and related technologies. This includes areas such as C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance), sensor technologies, electronic warfare, and indirect fire systems.

Mentioned Countries: EU Member States, EDF Associated Countries, Norway, Ukraine (mentioned as ineligible).

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is research and development, with an emphasis on exploring and maturing technologies. The call supports activities ranging from generating knowledge and integrating knowledge to feasibility studies and preliminary design. System prototyping, testing, qualification, and certification are explicitly excluded.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary by topic, ranging from EUR 10,000,000 to EUR 39,000,000. Specific topics and their respective budgets include: EDF-2025-RA-C4ISR-MIDS-STEP (EUR 39,000,000), EDF-2025-RA-ENERENV-PSR (EUR 25,000,000), EDF-2025-RA-GROUND-CBC (EUR 20,000,000), EDF-2025-RA-MATCOMP-CDA-STEP (EUR 25,000,000), EDF-2025-RA-MCBRN-ATE (EUR 10,000,000), EDF-2025-RA-SIMTRAIN-DAFAS (EUR 28,000,000), EDF-2025-RA-SIMTRAIN-LVC-STEP (EUR 15,000,000), and EDF-2025-RA-UWW-SOASW (EUR 20,000,000).

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 grants to support their research and development activities.

Application Stages: The application process is a single-stage process.

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

Co-funding Requirement: The co-funding requirement is not explicitly mentioned, but it is common for EU grants to require some level of co-funding from the applicant or other sources.

This opportunity is a call for proposals under the European Defence Fund (EDF) focusing on research actions to enhance counter-battery capabilities for the armed forces of EU Member States and EDF Associated Countries. The primary goal is to explore and mature technologies that can effectively neutralize enemy artillery potential, thereby improving the survival and operational capacity of land armies. The call encourages the development of innovative and cost-effective solutions for detecting, locating, identifying, and communicating observations related to enemy artillery systems.

The scope of the call includes research on new technologies, adaptation of existing technologies, and the development of passive and active sensor portfolios, such as acoustic, seismic, optical, optronics, radar, and ESM sensors. It also covers research on carrier systems for these sensors, including UxVs, balloons, vehicles, and stationary platforms, as well as innovative deployment mechanisms.

Eligible activities range from generating knowledge and integrating knowledge to conducting feasibility studies and preliminary designs. Mandatory activities include creating overviews of current and outdated methods for detecting and identifying enemy artillery systems, assessing the potential of active and passive sensors, and conducting feasibility studies on sensor integration and deployment mechanisms. Optional activities include preliminary design studies of automated systems for sensor integration and target identification.

The call specifies functional requirements for the proposed technologies, such as the ability to timely detect and identify various indirect enemy effectors, a minimum range of 200 km, operation in GNSS-denied areas, and robustness against jamming and spoofing. The call aims to increase the EU industry's capability to produce counter-battery systems, consolidate competitive solutions for the global market, and reduce dependencies on non-EU suppliers.

The application process involves a single stage, with a deadline of October 16, 2025. Applicants are expected to form consortia and submit proposals that address the call's objectives and requirements, following the guidelines and templates provided on the Funding & Tenders Portal. The indicative budget for the call is divided among several specific topics, each with its own funding allocation, providing a range of opportunities for different research areas within the counter-battery domain.