Following the successful Biological Detection Identification and Monitoring Symposium in 2008 hosted by the Bundeswehr Research Institute for Protection Technologies and NBC Protection in Munster, Lower Saxony, Germany and the subsequent launch of the Ad Hoc Category B Project Biological Equipment Development and Enhancement Programme – Preparation Phase by European Defence Ministers on 18 March 2009, the European Defence Agency is holding a symposium, hosted by the French Ministry of Defence, from 10 – 11 May 2010 in the Military School, Paris, France.

The aim of the symposium is to update and exchange information on the Ad Hoc Cat B Project BIO EDEP PREP, between contributing governmental members of the Ad Hoc Project and industrial stakeholders in order to gain industrial and technological consolidated views for the programme phase of the Biological Integrated Reconnaissance Defence (BIRD) System commencing 2012.

Essentially the two day symposium aims to address the following issues:

• To inform on the current status of the Ad Hoc Cat B Project BIO EDEP PREP;
• To present the current overall view of the operational requirements for the future Biological Integrated Reconnaissance Defence (BIRD) System;
• To inform on concluded and ongoing EDA funded BIO EDEP supporting studies;
• To request industry to inform (RFI) on BIRD operational and related technological system orientated solutions in the mid (next 5 years) and long term (5 – 10 years);
• To review and discuss the proposed industrial and technological solutions in closed BIO EDEP capability orientated panels with governmental end users and industry;
• To develop a first draft open Short List of industrial and technological solutions to support a Business Case and MoU development in order to minimise risk for 2nd generation BIRD development.

Background

The Ad Hoc Cat B Project “BIO EDEP - PREP” is the initial phase of an armaments programme aimed at enhancing and developing equipment provided to EU forces to enable them to operate in a biologically hazardous environment, by providing increased protection and survivability for individual soldiers and enabling operational and tactical commanders to maintain freedom of action and movement. The project is currently being conducted in accordance with the EDA Guide to the Conduct of a Programme Preparation Phase as part of the EDA Armaments strategy, with completion targeted by end 2010, with a possible decision to integrate the programme in the OCCAR in 2011.

The specific aim of the preparation phase is to develop Common Staff Requirements (CSR) for Individual Soldier Protection, Non-Specialist all-arms CBRN Defence Unit Protection, and CBRN Defence Specialists Equipment Capability leading to options for the realisation of BIOEDEP. More specifically, this preparation phase will result, by the end of this year, in the elaboration of eight CSR documents describing the specific requirements for each of the eight sub-systems that will eventually build up the BIRD system: one overarching system integration project that warrants the global coherence of the system and its seamless integration within the EU forces and 7 sub-system development projects. They address the need for protection of the forces at all required levels: individual, non-specialist and CBRN.