The Polish participant in the largest number of projects is the Military University of Technology, which participates in five projects, the university reports.

The selected 54 projects aim to achieve technological advantage in ground, air, and sea combat, protection of space resources, and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) defence. Projects implemented with the participation of the Military University of Technology are intended to contribute to the implementation of European Union priorities in the areas of: directed energy laser weapons, language innovations, technologies for the future main battle tank, innovative propulsion for land and sea defence applications and autonomous artificial intelligence for use in cyber defence.

TALOS-TWO: LASER WEAPONS

The implementation of the TALOS-TWO project is expected to open the way to the development (by 2030) of fully European laser weapon systems with a power of up to 100 kW (for radiation with a wavelength of 1 micrometer) and 10 kW (for radiation with a wavelength of 2 micrometers).

'These systems will be based on fibre-optic laser sources emitting radiation in the above spectral regions and techniques for coupling multiple laser beams. This will allow to develop an effective directed energy laser effector capable of destroying targets on land, water, and in the air', explains the project leader at the Military University of Technology, Col. Professor Jacek Świderski, who conducts research at the Institute of Optoelectronics.

Under his supervision, work will be carried out on innovative coherent source pumped fibre optic laser systems generating radiation in the vicinity of 2 micrometers, as well as research on optical elements necessary for the propagation and coherent coupling of high-power optical beams with a wavelength of 1 micrometer.

LINGUARICE-DC: LANGUAGE INNOVATIONS FOR DEFENCE

The objective of the Linguarice-DC project is to use the latest human language processing technologies in the European defence sector. It is intended to ensure communication proficiency, improve intelligence gathering methods and cooperation within ad-hoc coalitions. Experts will build a modular language platform that can be easily adapted to the needs of users and situations. This platform is intended to revolutionise language capabilities in military operations.

'The project aims to fill the gap in the use of modern human language technologies (HLT) in the defence sector, especially the technologies adapted to different languages of countries. The LINGUARISE DC platform will offer a language processing system as part of the C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) system in tactical operations centres. The system offers collaboration and communication tools for planning and implementing missions. It supports entities using different languages at all levels of the chain of command', says Dr. Marcin Kowalski from the Institute of Optoelectronics of the Military University of Technology.

FMBTECH: TECHNOLOGIES FOR TANKS

The best technologies that could be used to build tanks - both existing and future ones - will be determined by the FMBTech project. As a result, concepts of modular solutions will be created in Poland, which can be combined with foreign solutions through the use of European unifying standards. This will enable European tanks to achieve the highest operational effectiveness and mission success in future land combat scenarios. The project assumes that the tank will act as a digital capacity centre on the battlefield. Such a tank will both cooperate with unmanned systems and support the crew through solutions based on artificial intelligence.

Dr. Rafał Typiak from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, head of the project at the Military University of Technology, explains that the university experts will analyse the designs used by the Polish Army in terms of equipping them with the latest technologies in the field of unmanned units and operating in a group or swarm.

CALIPSO: INNOVATIVE DRIVE FOR MILITARY VEHICLES

Is it possible to improve operational capacity on land and at sea while reducing fuel consumption? The CALIPSO project aims to reduce the dependence of European Union countries on fossil fuels. Military vehicles will consume less fuel thanks to the use of innovative energy management in propulsion systems, and will be powered by new generation fuels. The new systems will be combined with conventional ones - advanced and innovative power technologies. The highest level of safety, low logistic footprint and life cycle cost reduction will be maintained.

'The project will enable the defence sector to systematically achieve the EU's sustainable development goals and pave the way for the adoption of innovative sustainable fuel propulsion systems in the land and maritime domains of the defence sector. It provides guidelines and road maps for systematically solving technical and other challenges, such as standardisation, safety, supply chain and logistics of new fuels', says the project leader, Dr. Filip Polak.

AIDA: AUTONOMOUS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN CYBER DEFENCE

The AIDA: Artificial Intelligence Deployable Agent project aims to develop a set of software agents (intelligent programs) whose operation is based on artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms - from narrow to general. These programs should focus on the cyber incident management cycle, i.e. attacks on information.

'Cyber criminals have been exploiting basic levels of artificial intelligence for years, and recent technological advances have significantly changed and will continue to change the way cyberattacks are carried out. The use of advanced artificial intelligence to carry out cyberattacks has created a type of threat that may be considered too difficult for human operators', says Dr. Andrzej Najgebauer, project leader at the Faculty of Cybernetics of the Military University of Technology.

Among the universities, institutes and companies from Poland that will also carry out research for European defence are: the Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Wrocław University of Science and Technology, the University of Gdańsk, the University of Wrocław, the Warsaw University of Technology, the Łukasiewicz Research Network: Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics, Institute of Aviation, Institute of Non-Ferrous Metals, Moratex Institute of Security Technology, as well as private sector companies.

All projects are implemented in international consortia of entities representing the European arms industry, and scientific and research centres. The third round of financing for defence projects through the European Defence Fund was concluded on May 16, 2024. This year, 236 applications from 26 EU countries and Norway were submitted. (PAP)

PAP - Science in Poland, Karolina Duszczyk

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