The aim of this topic is to follow up and complement previous activities in the field of the next generation self-protection systems in order to increase the survivability of fixed wing and rotary wing, combat or non-combat aircraft in hostile environments.

This topic is aimed at modular integration with both fixed and rotary wing aircraft, providing protection against direct and indirect threats based on open architecture and international standards, while protecting sensitive data and ensuring compatibility with other platforms. Key features include automatic coordination of countermeasures, threat detection and classification, and the ability to operate in complex environments. For indirect threats, the system should gather intelligence, disrupt enemy tracking and enable collaborative protection with other platforms.

This topic contributes to the STEP objectives as defined in the STEP Regulation in the target investment area of defence technologies.

Targeted types of activities: Design, system prototyping, testing and qualification, not excluding upstream and downstream activities eligible for development actions.

Indicative budget: EUR 24 000 000 for this topic under the EDF-2026-DA call.

Indicative number of proposals to be funded: One proposal is to be funded for this topic. However, depending on the quality of the proposals submitted and the budget available, more than one proposal may ultimately be funded for this topic.