The two-day session was held at Diehl’s facilities and involved national project coordinators and technical specialists from the participating countries. Representatives of the HYDEF industrial consortium and OCCAR’s programme division also took part.
The consortium used the first phase to define the selected interceptor concept and the technical solutions needed to develop it. The work covered development plans, physical and functional concepts, and the architecture connecting the proposed system’s functions.
The review found that interoperability requirements had been addressed through recognised international standards, including relevant NATO Standardisation Agreements. It also produced lifecycle cost information for the selected concept.
All critical technologies within the Block 0 interceptor configuration have now reached at least Technology Readiness Level 3. Their viability was assessed through simulations, technical analyses, functional tests and other validation methods.
The review examined final reports from the early-maturation work packages, evaluation documents and the selected design concepts. It also covered development plans and verification tables connecting each activity with the evidence used to assess it.
A technology plan prepared for the review identified the principal technical risks and provided a detailed assessment of current readiness levels. The plan also set out development work intended to produce a TRL 6 prototype of the interceptor’s physical elements.
OCCAR said programme activities were progressing ahead of schedule, positioning HYDEF to enter its second stage, known as EATMI II. The current stage will formally end at a meeting in Madrid on 22 October 2026.
Participants at the Madrid meeting will review the programme’s results and discuss lessons from the first stage. They will also consider the next steps in developing the European interceptor.
“The European Hypersonic Defence Interceptor (EU HYDEF) is a project co-funded by the European Union under the European Defence Fund, as well as by Belgium, Germany, Norway, Poland and Spain,” OCCAR said. “OCCAR has been entrusted with the management of the EU HYDEF project by the European Commission and the Participating States.”
