Abstract
Digital technologies can vastly improve the operational readiness, effectiveness and technological sovereignty of Europe’s armed forces. For defence to benefit from digitalisation, both the greater interoperability of digital technologies and financial investment is required. The Multi-annual Financial Framework is a test for how serious EU member states are about the digital agenda but low national defence R&D investments are also contributing to an erosion of Europe’s digital power.
Europe does not have enough statistical clarity of the digital state of its armed forces today. A number of ‘quick win’ initiatives can be undertaken by the EU in the short term. Without overhauling existing initiatives, member states could record progress on their national defence digitalisation efforts through the reporting mechanisms available under the CARD and PESCO.
Beyond short-term measures, discussions about the digitalisation of defence could be integrated into the forthcoming ‘strategic compass’. The Union needs better foresight capacities to understand the link between digital capability development and digital vulnerabilities and how digitalisation should be included in any future European threat analysis and defence strategy.
EUISS Policy Brief, 2020, No.
Daniel Fiott 