The SWAT-SHOAL project selected under the 2022 European Defence Fund.
Porto, June 30, 2023 – The European Commission recently announced the projects selected under the 2022 European Defence Fund (EDF). The SWAT-SHOAL project, which will be developed over 36 months, was selected in the Underwater Warfare category and received €25 million in funding.
The project aims to develop and implement the concept of a System of Systems (SoS) that integrates different types of manned and unmanned vehicles in “swarms” to achieve greater efficiency in underwater missions such as surveillance, reconnaissance, mine warfare, collaborative combat, and amphibious support operations. The focus is on innovative technologies including swarm coordination, underwater communications, and autonomous operation to enhance the versatility and capabilities of future naval forces in the underwater domain.
The project will cover all mission phases: swarm deployment, initial self-organization, path planning, task execution, and recovery, as well as integration with Command and Control Systems, including interaction with assets such as sonobuoys, divers, or support vessels. The key phases of SWAT-SHOAL include defining the operational concept, technology research, and validation through simulation and at-sea demonstrations.
The SWAT-SHOAL consortium consists of 20 organizations from 11 countries, all playing essential roles: Navantia (project coordinator), Sener (technical coordinator), Adyta, Akademia Marynarki Wojennej, ATLAS ELEKTRONIK GmbH, Cafa Tech Ou, Develogic GmbH, Fincantieri Nextech Spa, Fraunhofer, GMV Aerospace and Defense, Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace, Naval Group Belgium, Naval Group France, Prisma Electronics, Saab Kockums, Sea Europe, Lukasiewicz Instytut, Saes, Sotiria Tecnologia, and WTD71.
Adyta is the only Portuguese company in this consortium and will be responsible for tasks related to communications, developing secure communication systems that enable the operation, command, and control of underwater vehicles.
Carlos Carvalho, CEO da Adyta, stated “Adyta’s participation in this project came after contact from the project coordinator, the Spanish company Navantia, a leader in naval construction, which recognized our expertise in cybersecurity and specifically in communications between the command and control systems of underwater vehicles. The project immediately motivated us, as it allows us to bring the technology we have developed into a new area—naval construction—while strengthening our presence with highly relevant international partners.”.
The outcomes of SWAT-SHOAL are expected to generate significant competitive advantages, defining new defense products and markets, many with dual-use potential, and positioning European products in markets where they currently do not have a presence.
More project information at: https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2023-06/SWAT-SHOAL-Factsheet_EDF22.pdf
