BLUF:
Civilian authorities can protect against drones by using systems that detect and jam them. Specialized net launchers can catch and bring them down, minimizing damage in counter-drone operations.
However, legal constraints limit the rollout of electronic countermeasures in Europe – and net launchers work best when paired with jamming. These kinds of ‘soft-kill’ systems are imperfect substitutes for physically destroying drones, which can be the only effective defense against sophisticated attacks.The EU’s BattleVerse project, which is developing a battlefield simulation system for military planning, has opened its first funding call. The BattleVerse consortium, which includes Rheinmetall, Indra Sistemas and Naval Group, seeks proposals to add new modules to the system or support development. Up to 20 SMEs can receive up to €60,000 each.
The European Commission has proposed regulations to create an EU-wide broadband critical communications system for emergency services.
Governments would have to ensure law enforcement communications systems are interoperable across borders and create oversight bodies for adding broadband capabilities. Other emergency services, such as firefighters and paramedics, would be allowed to join the common system.
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Killing drones softly
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1. EU-backed consortium paying SMEs for battlefield simulation ideas
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The Arsenal is hiring in Berlin. We’re looking for an experienced reporter who can quickly get to grips with German defense tech and regulation. Anyone interested can send a short bio and CV to chief of staff Jackie Cole: [email protected].
Joseph Truelove has been appointed chief of staff at the British subsidiary of German unmanned ground vehicle manufacturer ARX Robotics. He was previously a founders’ associate.
ARX Robotics UK is also hiring a senior legal and commercial counsel in London.
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Two commercial ships were hit by drones off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast on Tuesday (6 October). One caught fire; 18 crewmembers were rescued, two of them seriously injured. The other sank, the fate of its crew is unknown. The origin of the drones is unconfirmed, The Washington Post reports.
Drones also sank a Turkish-owned cargo ship in Romanian waters on Monday (5 October), killing two crew members. Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed Russia for the attack, Euronews reports.
August Hanning, the former head of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service or Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), has been arrested on suspicion of espionage and treason, Politico reports.
French carmaker Renault is trying to improve drone production scales, such as by replacing carbon-fiber parts with plastic, the Financial Times reports.
The German defense ministry has dismissed as “unfounded” a €4.7 billion claim by Dutch shipbuilder Damen Shipyards over the cancellation of the F126 frigate, Reuters reports.
The European Commission announced on Monday (5 October) that it will add €130 million for national counter-drone capabilities via the EU’s Border Management and Visa Instrument.
British counterintelligence service MI5 has warned universities collaborating with the China General Technology Research Institute that they could face criminal charges for aiding a foreign state, the BBC reports.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of On The Move incorrectly stated Joseph Truelove's first name. We apologize for this error.
