Jan. 2023
The sovereign military capabilities sought by future LPM (Military Programming Law) will depend on the industrial performance of the naval DTIB (Defense Technological and Industrial Base).
This performance cannot be guaranteed without ring-fencing the progress of major naval programs, such as those relating to the nuclear deterrent and the carrier strike group centered on a next-generation aircraft carrier (PA-NG). These programs constitute a structural lever for the value chain and guarantee the long-term viability of the French fabric of industrial SMEs.
Meeting tomorrow’s capability challenges and preserving operational superiority against new threats requires investing in R&D at a level of 10% of the funding for upstream studies (PTD). This R&D investment will facilitate the necessary technological developments, some key areas of which are illustrated below.
the incremental approach throughout the life cycle and systems approach
The naval sector is ready to implement this approach, not only for future programs but throughout the entire life cycle. This involves combining the integration of new operational concepts with short loop technical experimentation, aiming for MVPs (Minimum Viable Products) whenever possible.
The principle of mid-life refits should be abandoned in favor of continuous evolution, supported by the progressive contributions of digitized shipborne assets. Roadmaps must be redesigned with the regular introduction of capability increments. The future major program ‘EVOL frigates’ could serve as a model for this.
large – scale naval drone integration
It is vital not to fall behind in this major capability shift, which involves a multiplication of military effect by extending it from manned vessels to naval drones, whether autonomous or remotely operated.
This requires immediate funding for the development of technologies necessary for decision-making autonomy, power generation, the use of efficient sensors, data exchange, and integration of these systems into the forces.
Without waiting to produce concepts of employment which will take longer to establish due to their disruptive operational consequences. The goal is to rapidly inject naval surface, aerial, and underwater drone developments, such as POCs (Proof of Concept), onto vessels currently in service or undergoing trials.
This will only be possible by strengthening the dialogue with the relevent industrial players, jointly conducting value analyses, and uniting the national industrial fabric through these concrete and incremental projects.
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A recovery of the ‘systems approach’ for the naval sector is considered highly relevant, following the example of the SCORPION program. In an era of “multi-domain, multi-environment” challenges, this programmatic orientation will synchronize various R&D, development, and production increments, while improving continuity between new-builds and in-service support.
A roadmap centered on the future Carrier Strike Group (integrating the PANG, FCAS, combat cloud, and associated connectivity) could federate this programmatic approach and promote effective integration into joint-service systems.
indispensable collaborative combat for high-intensity engagement
The evolution of threats, including hyper-velocity ones, and ‘multi-domain, multi-environment’ interoperability requires naval forces to acquire collaborative surveillance and engagement systems. These must be paired with enhanced connectivity, high-intensity effectors, and cyber-resilient tools for advanced training.
The programmatic trajectory must therefore be planed as soon as possible to move beyond the initial experimental phase.
This major project must account for technological, architectural, digitization, integration and resilience requirements, as well as use in exercises. Furthermore, it must engage key industrials partners to establish a joint roadmap through collaborative workgroups.