Thales leads European defence consortium for advanced air and missile defence network

Launched at the end of January 2025, EISNET was introduced at a high-level meeting attended by 65 representatives from European industry, research institutions, and academia. The project aims to develop common standards, build prototypes, and create demonstration scenarios to enhance Europe’s air and missile defence capabilities.

EISNET will establish next-generation real-time network protocols, known as the EISNET Architecture Framework Tool (EAFT). This framework will allow European radars, passive sensors, and command-and-control systems from different countries and suppliers to communicate seamlessly, ensuring a dynamic exchange of data and services.

By integrating these systems in a coordinated manner, EISNET seeks to improve the responsiveness, scalability, and resilience of both new and existing Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) systems. The project is designed to address complex modern threats, including high-velocity attacks, saturation strikes, and stealth capabilities.

A key objective of EISNET is to develop an open standard for interoperability among all IAMD suppliers. Enhanced communication speed within the command chain is expected to reduce reaction time, providing Europe with a stronger defence against evolving aerial threats.

Raphaël Desi, Vice-President of Integrated Airspace Protection Systems at Thales, highlighted the importance of the project, stating: “Air superiority is decisive in today’s warfare in order to protect our countries and citizens. EISNET paves the way for a new generation of Integrated Air Missile Defence.”

The EISNET Architecture Framework Tool (EAFT) will define a common set of rules and functions to ensure the seamless scalability of weapon systems, sensors, and Fire Control Centres (FCC). This approach will enable diverse defence technologies to operate cohesively within a network-centric solution.

Source: Thales (press release).