Global defense company Thales has announced that it will lead EISNET, short for European Interactive Sensor-Based Dynamic Defence Network, a new consortium that will support sustained development of Europe’s integrated air missile defense, or IAMD, systems.
EISNET’s goal is to form a collaborative European network for harmonizing and integrating current and future IAMD systems onward to an open standard of full interoperability among all systems and suppliers, Thales said in its consortium announcement Thursday.
European Defence Fund Support
Launched in December, EISNET is composed of 23 partners from industry, research institutions and the academe from 12 countries. The consortium will draw part of its financing from the European Defence Fund, the European Commission’s support agent for defense research and development among regional companies.
Raphael Desi, Thales vice-president for integrated airspace protection systems, underscored the decisive advantage of air superiority for defense and protection in today’s warfare environment. “EISNET paves the way for a new generation of integrated air missile defense. Together, in this Thales-led consortium, we will boost European air defense,” Desi said.
IAMD Architecture Framework Tool
Thales noted that the consortium will focus on the conceptualization, development and demonstration of the EISNET Architecture Framework Tool, or EAFT. According to the France-based multinational company, the tool will be designed to enable dynamic, real-time communication and data exchange between European command and control systems, radars, and sensors from different countries and suppliers. EAFT’s protocols will serve as a European Union shield against various aerial threats, including drone swarms and hypersonic missiles, Thales added.
Diehl Defence, a German company in EISNET, formalized a memorandum of understanding in March 2024 with Northrop Grumman to combine their expertise in seeking innovative approaches to Germany’s air and missile defense capabilities. German firms Hensoldt Sensors and Rheinmetall Electronics are also consortium members, along with major Italian firms Leonardo, STAM and MBDA Italia.