The European Defence Agency is preparing the establishment of a Procurement Cell to coordinate the EU Member States’ orders of commercial satellite communications services. Satellite communications are essential for ESDP crisis management operations. However, the military have to compete on a market dominated by civilian users (some 80%). Coordinating and combining EU Member States’ orders for satellite communications services will ensure better access to such services at competitive prices.
The European Satellite Communications Procurement Cell will be a three-year pilot project (2010- 2012) in order to gain practical experience with centralising commercial SATCOM procurement at the EU level. The Cell’s activities could reach a business volume of at least € 30 million per year. A central booking office would initially be hosted at EDA’s premises. It would manage the technical and financial aspects of the requests and orders placed by the Member States with the capacity and service offers by satellite operators and telecom companies. After the end of the pilot period (2012) the SATCOM Procurement Cell activities are intended to be transferred to an appropriate entity for permanent operations for the EU Member States.
The SATCOM Procurement Cell proposal was discussed at the Steering Board in Capabilities formation, which met on 6 March under the chairmanship of Major-General Pierre Hougardy, the Belgian Capability Director. “This is a major step in European collaboration under the roof of EDA to get better and cheaper access to commercial satellite communications services for our military crisis management operations”, Hougardy said.
Capability Directors of EDA’s participating Member States also discussed the follow-on work to the Capability Development Plan, in particular the progress made with the 12 selected priorities. For most of these priorities the required activities have been identified, which will form the basis for commitments to collaborative capability improvement within the EU. “We are moving from theory to practice. Some Member States have already signed up for projects related to these priorities. Others might do this for future projects. I see increased willingness to improve European capabilities in areas like helicopters, CBRN defence, Counter- Improvised Explosive Devices and Logistics”, said Alexander Weis, EDA’s Chief Executive.
The Steering Board also took stock of the progress made with the establishment of the European Air Transport Fleet, launched by the Declaration of Intent which was signed by 12 European Defence Ministers in November 2008. Capability Directors agreed a roadmap, with a Letter of Intent to be presented the near term for signature in the course of 2009.