This European Defence Fund (EDF) 2026 Development Action topic supports the complementary design, ground qualification and certification preparation of a next‑generation Self‑Protection System (SPS) for both fixed‑wing and rotary‑wing aircraft operating in congested and contested environments. With an indicative budget of EUR 24 million and an expectation that at least one proposal will be funded, the call targets a mature, modular protection suite that can be reconfigured and scaled across missions and platform types while remaining interoperable with modern mission systems and legacy aircraft.

The general objective is to increase aircraft survivability against a heterogeneous and rapidly evolving threat spectrum. The system is expected to prioritise risks in the operational area and select appropriate reaction modes through a network of distributed sensor and actuator nodes across one or more cooperating platforms. It should be able to self‑adapt during operation based on scenario monitoring and asset availability, leveraging modern computing and, where relevant, Artificial Intelligence to accelerate detection, classification and response. The specific objective reflects lessons from high‑intensity operations, including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and calls for improved protection against surface‑to‑air and air‑to‑air missiles with different guidance modes (e.g., radio‑frequency and optronics), hostile fires, and fast‑evolving unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) threats.

Building on prior cooperative EDF/EDIDP work (notably EDIDP‑ACC‑SPS‑2020 and EDF‑2023‑DA‑AIR‑SPS), the call focuses on further prototype testing to qualify the full SPS primarily on the ground, as well as the identification of an appropriate certification basis and the completion of studies required prior to certification on fixed‑wing and rotary‑wing platforms. Mandatory activities include (d) design, (e) system prototyping, (f) testing and (g) qualification, while studies, interoperability/resilience activities, certification and life‑cycle efficiency improvements are optional.

Key design expectations include: scalable installation concepts that minimise retrofit impact; extensive mission data gathering (including background recording for post‑analysis and AI training, potentially via cooperation with unmanned assets); robust zeroisation of sensitive data in case of asset loss; and technical maturation of lower‑TRL sensors/effectors (e.g., active threat warning and jamming). Prototyping should build a functioning ground SPS with its sensors and effectors, validated progressively via digital‑twin methods, hardware‑in‑the‑loop and dedicated rigs. Testing must demonstrate functional requirements on rigs and/or in flight. Qualification must cover functional, environmental, and EMI/EMC qualification at subsystem level first and at the integrated suite level thereafter. The proposal must also address cybersecurity and protection of classified information and databases, including detailed processes for distributing, creating, updating, uploading/downloading and erasing SPS data during maintenance and operations.

Ultimately, the action should deliver a modular, open‑architecture SPS aligned with widely used standards and ready to support European operational needs toward the 2035–2040 horizon, strengthening European industrial competitiveness and reducing dependencies on third‑country constraints for key components.

Opening: 22.01.2026
Deadline(s): 29.09.2026