EDA’s autonomous systems community hosts inaugural conference in Brussels

By Defence Industry Europe

The European Defence Agency (EDA) hosted the first conference of its Autonomous Systems Community of Interest (ASCI) in Brussels from 13 to 14 November 2024. The event marked a significant step in fostering collaboration on autonomous systems, drawing over 750 members from across military, industry, academia, and research sectors.

 

Launched earlier this year, ASCI builds on the EDA’s Action Plan for Autonomous Systems, focusing on equipping Member States’ armed forces with advanced, reliable, and autonomous systems. The conference addressed technological challenges, evolving threat landscapes, and the importance of ethical guidelines and standardisation in integrating these systems into European defence.

“The Autonomous System Community of Interests is a cross-directorate effort at EDA, reflecting the need for diverse and complementary perspectives and know-how,” said André Denk, EDA’s Deputy Chief Executive. “The end goal is to ensure Member States’ armed forces are equipped with highly autonomous, effective, and reliable systems as critical assets on the future battlefield.”

 




The EDA’s Action Plan prioritises enhancing individual unmanned systems, enabling autonomous systems to work together, and supporting manned-unmanned teaming across domains. Notably, the EDA and EU armed forces are not working on fully autonomous lethal systems but aim to leverage autonomy for precision, flexibility, and risk reduction.

Ukraine’s recent experiences in conflict have underscored the strategic role of autonomous systems in modern warfare. These technologies have demonstrated their ability to improve operational outcomes and mitigate risks in complex scenarios.

ASCI is aligned with three core priorities: recognising the critical role of autonomy in defence, establishing robust ethical and regulatory standards, and promoting collaboration across Europe. “ASCI stands as a collaborative force, linking civilian and military efforts and fostering essential partnerships. ASCI is not just a network; it is a community with a shared purpose,” said Nathalie Guichard, EDA’s Research and Technology Director.

 

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