CapTech Information

SUMMARY

The mission of the CapTech Communication Information Systems and Networks (CapTech Information) is to foster research, technology, and innovations for military communication systems from devices to networks as well as information systems from processing to fusion, analysis, distribution, and presentation.

The main objectives of the CapTech Information efforts are dedicated to technologies in support of enhancing military capabilities mainly, but not only, in the “Knowledge” domain Command and Inform.

CapTech Information covers R&T needs in the areas of:

• Communication systems from devices to networks;
• Information systems from data acquisition and processing to fusion and presentation;
• Ubiquitous mobile, ad-hoc and networked computing;
• Semantic technologies;
• Smart and efficient communications;
• Management of information at large scale (e.g. for wireless sensor networks);
• User-friendly presentation of information and controls; and
• Common System Interoperability including multi-layer information gateways.

The work of CapTech Information is generally in the range of TRL 2 to 6, although work in higher TRLs is not ruled out. Communication and Information systems (CIS) are a key enabler for any crisis management operation. Supporting technologies include deployable, mobile, secure, and robust broadband communication (“smart” tactical radio) with an even more robust narrowband backup. By supporting military requirements in this area, the CapTech activities contribute to the relevant priorities of the Capability Development Plan (CDP).

ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION

The CapTech Information meetings are held 3 times per year, with a maximum duration of 2 days. All the information is shared in its Workspace. Workshops or seminars might take place back-to-back with the CapTech meetings. The Workshops objectives are to achieve concrete outcomes, such as the preparation of a project or fulfilment of an extraordinary request (topics for calls for proposals, SRA development, technology assessment, etc.). The workshops are “hands-on” and participatory. On the other hand, the seminars’ objective is to raise the awareness and knowledge about specific technologies identified in the CapTech and gain insight on their potential for defence applications. Subject matter experts are invited as speakers.

Requests for membership to the CapTech can be submitted to the CapTech Moderator and granted by the respective CapTech National Coordinator (CNC). Be aware that your request will be forwarded to your national authorities, in the person of the relevant CNC. The approval of the CNC will be needed to become a Governmental Expert (CGE) or non-Governmental Expert (CnGE), and for your participation in a CapTech event. To become a member of the CapTech (CGE or CnGE), please contact us at: captech.information@eda.europa.eu 

The activities of the CapTech Information are guided by the Strategic Research Agenda (SRA). The CapTech started by identifying the main operational challenges relevant to its area of work, on the short, medium, and long-term. A total of nine main R&T priorities are included in the current SRA . According to the OSRA methodology, these priorities have been transferred into systematic Technology Building Block (TBB) descriptions, allowing for a more harmonised structuration and analysis of CapTech SRA documents and a systematic development of the Overarching Strategic Research Agenda (OSRA). The SRA also presents technological relations (linkages & boundaries) and dependencies to other CapTechs.

Based on the SRA, any CapTech member can propose ideas for new activities (projects, workshops, seminars, etc.) at any meeting. These ideas are collected and, if not immediately detailed with clear expression of interest, it is the role of the moderator to persist and revisit the topics to re-launch or definitively scrap the idea. The active involvement of non-governmental members in the proposal of solutions for governmental needs, with a consistent and systematic ground for dialogue, is a contrasted mean to foster the cooperation between EDA pMS. In the context of new SRA related activities, TBB Roadmaps have been developed that include technical recommendations for project implementations in related technology areas.

The 9 TBBs are based on technologies enabling the development of:

• TBB01 - Management and Processing Information from Heterogeneous Information Sources
• TBB02 - Coalition Network Security and Protection and Interaction with commercial technologies
• TBB03 - Cognitive Radio
• TBB04 - Tactical Cloud Infrastructure for C4ISR System
• TBB05 - Electromagnetic Support Measures (ESM) for Communications
• TBB06 - Internet of Things (IoT) for Defence
• TBB07 - Information Process Enhancement by using AI and Big Data
• TBB08 - Long Range Communications
• TBB09 - Software Defined Networking

The area of Cyberdefence is covered by CapTech Cyber and it is not under the coverage of CapTech Information.

Ongoing and finalised Projects

• MAENA (Multi Band Efficient Networks for Ad Hoc Communications): Study, compare and assess different dynamic resources management strategies to optimize the time-frequency (Radio Spectrum) allocation for an operation theatre.
• SOFTANET (Software Defined Tactical & Theatre Network): Investigate the benefits of SDN to defense theatre and tactical networks in order to virtualize the connectivity, computing and storage resources of military networks and exploit the benefits of software to enable technical and operational agility.
• WINLAS (Wireless Sensor networks for urban Local Areas Surveillance): Demonstrate how situational awareness of armed forces in an urban environment can be improved with a network of low-cost heterogenous sensors by autonomous reconfiguration of the sensor nodes and energy harvesting resources at runtime
• CLAUDIA (Cloud Intelligence for Decision Making Support and Analysis): The development of a Software Analysis platform to research on the possibilities of supporting the study and assessment of military scenarios, specifically focused to those related to Hybrid Warfare, through an extensive investigation and processing of the different data involved.
• CRAI (Communications and Radar systems hardened with Artificial Intelligence in a contested electronic warfare environment): investigate possible benefits of Artificial Intelligence (AI) utilised in a combined setup for spectrum sensing and spectrum usage (Communications and Radar) to support situational awareness and hereby the decision-making processes in a military application
• ANQUOR (Advanced Networking with Quantum communications with Operational Relevance): to explore and demonstrate the military relevance of quantum communications technology in order to benefit from civil R&D results and determine specific military conditions and needs for application of such technology
• LORACO (Long Range Communications): research on combining the two complementing communication technologies HF and Satcom by integrating them based on IP to a robust and resilient link.