Navantia and EDINAF unveil the digital architecture of future European military vessels

 

The meeting brings together a prominent representation of the European defense and technology industry, including giants such as Naval Group, Fincantieri, Damen, SAAB, Kongsberg, Thales, Leonardo, Indra and AERTECAlso in attendance were delegates from the European Commission, military authorities (such as the Admiral of the Ferrol Arsenal, Vicente Rubio Bolívar), and Galician academic and political institutions, in addition to fifteen representatives from the seven European navies participating in the initiative.

 

The General Assembly seals three years of collaborative work, the result of which is an integrated digital platform designed to boost the interoperability between navies, the automation and compatibility with the NATO standards in the naval field. A key benefit of this architecture is the reduction of costs and the crews required on board.

 

“EDINAF represents a technological leap for European naval defense,” he stated. Ana MoyaMoya, Director of Technology and Digital Transformation at Navantia, highlighted that this digital architecture will allow for “the progressive integration of new advanced capabilities, guarantee operational resilience even in critical scenarios, and accelerate collaboration between allies to strengthen European strategic sovereignty.”

 

Demonstration of Resilience and Collaborative Combat

 

A central point of the meeting will be the technical demonstration that will take place on the second day. In an exercise of real-time simulationIt will be shown how a digital ship connects with its naval base through onboard and land-based platforms to execute an operational mission.

 

The simulation will include the planning of an operation, the deployment of the unmanned vehicle USV West to inspect a suspicious vessel in the Ferrol estuary, and the combination of sensors, combat systems, and real-time logistical solutions. To test the platform, the operation will be the target of a cyber attack which will measure the ability of digital architecture to overcome critical failures, facilitate decision-making, and optimize resources in asymmetric and changing scenarios.

 

Consolidating European Strategic Sovereignty

 

EDINAF is one of the most ambitious projects of the European Defence Fund. Led by Navantia, the project integrates 31 partners from 8 countries (Spain, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway) and has the advice of seven European Ministries of Defense.

 

The project is based on the frictionless interoperability between European systems, the ciberseguridad in the face of sophisticated threats and the platform's connection with the naval combat cloudessential for collaborative defense.

 

The Ferrol Assembly will define the roadmap for implementing the project's conclusions and establishing the 2026 milestones. The ultimate goal is for future European frigates, corvettes, submarines, and auxiliary vessels to share a common technological framework that improves the sector's competitiveness, reduces costs and development times, and boosts European strategic sovereignty.