The European Commission has published the projects selected under 2022 European Defence Fund (EDF). The SWAT-SHOAL project, funded with 25 million euros, has been selected in the category of Underwater Warfare.
The aim of the project is to develop and implement the concept of a System of Systems (SoS) that integrates different types of manned and unmanned vehicles in a swarm to achieve greater efficiency in underwater missions, such as surveillance, reconnaissance, mine warfare, collaborative engagements, or support for amphibious operations. The focus is put on innovative technologies like swarming, underwater communications, and autonomous operation to augment the versatility and future naval forces’ capabilities in the underwater domain.
The scope will cover the different mission phases (deployment of swarms, initial self-organization, path planning, task accomplishment and swarm recovery), as well as the integration with Command-and-Control Systems, including the interaction with elements such as sonobuoys, divers, or support vessels. The main phases of SWAT-SHOAL are operational concept definition, technologies research, and validation through simulation & seawater demonstration.
The SWAT-SHOAL consortium, is composed of 20 entities, including Large Caps, RTOs, SMEs and Mid Caps, of 11 nations, all playing a key role: Navantia as main coordinator, Sener as technical coordinator, Adyta LDA, Akademia Marynarki Wojennej, ATLAS ELEKTRONIK GmbH, Cafa Tech Ou, Develogic GmbH, Fincantieri Nextech Spa, Fraunhofer, GMV Aerospace and Defence, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, Naval Group Belgium, Naval Group France, Prisma Electronics, Saab Kockums, Sea Europe, Lukasiewicz Instytut, Saes, Sotiria Technology and WTD71.
The participation of Navantia in SWAT-SHOAL strengthens its position as integrator of unmanned vehicle swarms in Command and Control Systems for submarine and surface battlefields, increasing interoperability in the naval domain. In addition.
Navantia contributes to the tests in operational scenarios with our VIENTO Family USV and providing the expertise as sensors and weapons integrator in naval platforms, also analyzing launch and recovery systems for efficient swarm deployment.
SWAT-SHOAL results will generate important competitive advantages by defining new defence products and markets, many of them with dual use potential, as well as positioning the European products on existing markets where they are not currently present.
With a history of more than 300 years linked to the construction of ships for the Navy, Navantia is a state-owned and strategic technology company for the defense of Spain. Its areas of specialization range from shipbuilding (surface and submarine), to the design and integration of systems with a high technological content and life cycle support and high value-added services. Additionally, with its brand Navantia Seanergies, it is a global supplier for the development of offshore wind energy and other green energies such as hydrogen.
Navantia employs nearly 4,000 people directly in Spain, mainly at its offices in Ferrol and Fene (A Coruña), Puerto, Real, San Fernando, Cádiz and Rota (Cádiz), Cartagena (Murcia Region) and Madrid.
Committed to building a safe and sustainable future through technological excellence and industrial collaboration, Navantia has contracts with Governments and companies around the world and ties with universities and technological and academic centers. It contributes to sustainability and innovation through its daily commitment to people and the planet, with responsible practices from the point of view of labour, the environment and economic and technological development that are viable regionally, nationally and internationally.
Navantia is owned 100% by the Sociedad Española de Participaciones Industriales (SEPI), attached to the Ministry of Finance and Public Function of Spain).
