JAKARTA \u2014 The European Union is accelerating the development of\nweapons technology and uncrewed combat systems designed to keep\noperating when GPS signals are disrupted or unavailable. The European\nDefence Agency (EDA) selected four defence technologies from Poland,\nFinland, France and Estonia following a series of joint tests with the\nPortuguese military. They include an artificial intelligence-based\nmission system and a low-cost rocket launcher that can be fitted to a\ndrone.<\/p>\n
In an official announcement on 14 October 2026, the EDA said the four\nselected companies would receive a total of \u20ac1.2 million (about Rp24.32\nbillion) in combined funding. Each company will receive \u20ac300,000 (about\nRp6.08 billion) to continue developing its technology before further\nfield tests in 2027.<\/p>\n
The funding is support for technology development through the\nBraveTech EU programme, not a weapons purchase contract or a procurement\ndecision by the armed forces of EU member states.<\/p>\n
The selections followed the EU OPEX 2026 operational testing\ncampaign, held at the Santa Margarida military training area in Portugal\nfrom 21 September to 14 October. The programme, organised with the\nPortuguese Army, brought defence technology developers together with\nmilitary users to test systems in scenarios resembling battlefield\nconditions.<\/p>\n
The four selected companies are EdgeX Robotics of Poland, Kova Labs\nof Finland, Soraccel of France and Tempterno Defence of Estonia. Their\ntechnologies include uncrewed ground vehicles, autonomous navigation in\ndifficult terrain, an AI-based mission system that works without GPS,\nand a low-cost rocket launcher that can be mounted on a vehicle or\ndrone.<\/p>\n
The decision reflects a new direction in European defence technology\ndevelopment amid changes in the nature of modern warfare. Military\nsystems must not only be capable of attack, but also operate when\ncommunications are disrupted, satellite navigation is unavailable or the\nbattlefield is too dangerous for personnel to enter.<\/p>\n
The EDA stressed, however, that all four technologies require further\ndevelopment and testing. Selection does not mean that the systems have\nbecome operational weapons or meet all the requirements for combat\nuse.<\/p>\n
Four Technologies Selected from Six Companies<\/p>\n
The four technologies were selected through BraveTech EU, a\ncooperation initiative between the European Union and Ukraine to\naccelerate defence technology development in response to real\nbattlefield needs. The programme is funded by the European Commission\nand implemented with the involvement of the EDA and Ukraine\u2019s defence\ninnovation platform, Brave1.<\/p>\n
Before testing in Portugal, six companies were selected to take part\nin the second phase of BraveTech EU. They were considered to have\ntechnologies with the potential to address military requirements,\nranging from disruption-resistant communications to uncrewed weapons\nsystems.<\/p>\n
On 14 July 2026, the EDA announced the six participants who had\nadvanced to the operational experimentation stage. In addition to the\nfour companies selected in October, they included Germany\u2019s Smaesh GmbH,\nwhich is developing a communications system based on several radio\ntechnologies, and Latvia\u2019s Rannon, which offers rocket-propelled\nammunition for counter-drone combat.<\/p>\n
Four of the six companies were selected following evaluation during\nthe testing campaign in Portugal. The assessment involved experts from\nthe EDA, the European Commission and Brave1, as well as representatives\nof EU member states and the Portuguese Armed Forces.<\/p>\n
The EDA did not publish a detailed ranking of the four winners in its\n14 October press release. Nor did it say that the two companies not\nselected had failed on all technical aspects of the testing.<\/p>\n
The evaluation aimed to identify the most promising solutions for\nfurther development towards higher technology-readiness levels. The\naward is therefore a funding and development decision, not the awarding\nof a weapons contract.<\/p>\n
First Technology: French AI Navigates Without GPS<\/p>\n
One of the technologies attracting attention comes from Soraccel, a\nFrench company developing an artificial intelligence-based mission\nsystem. The EDA said the system is designed to enable navigation when\nGPS signals are unavailable.<\/p>\n
This capability is important because satellite navigation is widely\nused by modern drones. When signals are disrupted or cannot be trusted,\nuncrewed aircraft that rely too heavily on satellite navigation risk\nlosing positional accuracy and their ability to complete missions.<\/p>\n
Such disruption can occur through jamming, in which interfering\nsignals hinder the reception of satellite navigation. Another threat is\nspoofing: the transmission of false signals or navigation information\nthat can cause a device to miscalculate its position.<\/p>\n
Soraccel\u2019s system is intended to reduce reliance on GPS through\nsoftware-based autonomous capabilities. The company is also developing\nrobotics and systems for coordinating multiple drones, allowing\noperators to manage missions with the assistance of automation.<\/p>\n
In a company statement following the award, Soraccel said the\n\u20ac300,000 in funding would be used to continue developing its AI mission\nsystem and prepare for further testing in 2027. The company said it aims\nto develop autonomous robots that can help operators carry out complex\ntasks, including in areas without GPS access.<\/p>\n
The EDA announcement did not detail all the navigation methods used\nby Soraccel or the system\u2019s accuracy under every test condition. The\nability to navigate without GPS should also not be equated with the\nability of a weapon to select and attack targets autonomously.<\/p>\n
The use of artificial intelligence for navigation serves a different\nfunction from decision-making about the use of lethal force. The\navailable information does not show that Soraccel\u2019s system has the\nauthority or operational capability to carry out attacks without human\ncontrol.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/europe-prepares-four-future-warfare-technologies-including-gps-free-ai-1793011937", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }