Czech Republic to lead EU electronic warfare project

In 2017, the European Council adopted a decision establishing the defense cooperation PESCO, in which 25 EU member states agreed to participate. Its purpose is to enable closer defense and security cooperation between the states. So far, 34 projects have been approved in two waves and the Czech Republic will participate directly in seven of them, observing another six.

The Czech Republic became the leader of the Electronic warfare capability and interoperability program for future joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. As put by the Defense Ministry, it aims to deliver a complex study that will evaluate feasibility of the use of electronic warfare tools for future operations. Potential of the use of passive surveillance systems, whose production has a great tradition in Czechia, is going to be evaluated as well. Ultimately, one of the outcomes could be a joint training program for electronic warfare experts or a joint force. It is all supposed to gradually unify electronic warfare approaches and procedures.

So far, six countries have joined the project. Czechia and Germany are project members and Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Slovakia and Sweden joined as observers. The first meeting is due in the first half of 2019.

Czechia also participates in the Military mobility project designated to simplify cross-border military transport procedures, which is now often disabled due to bureaucratic processes of the EU.