ETELM and partners awarded at the PRODEF challenge by French Ministry of the Armed Forces

In early 2019 the Defense Innovation Agency (AID) launched the PRODEF challenge with the support of the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA), the French Government Defense procurement and technology agency. The challenge was launched in order to enable French SME’s to propose innovative technology solutions to the challenges faced by the Ministry of the Armed forces in their mission to protect and defend air bases.

The successful proposition was put forward by a consortium of 9 French SMEs, experienced in their respective fields and is built around digital transformation, use of the latest innovative technology and agility of the global solution and organization.

The companies involved are; 4G Technology (mobile autonomous intelligent protection devices), ETELM (4G radio infrastructure), HALYS (LTE EPC core and SIM cards), DIGINEXT (hypervisor 2D/3D/4D), DRONE PROTECT SYSTEM (autonomous surveillance drones), SORHEA - VITAPROTECH group (perimeter intrusion detection), CINES (cybersecurity), CERBAIR (drone detection) and MENTOR CONSULTANT (technical and industrial architect).

The general concept of the solution is based on a secure radio communication network, covering a permanent or temporary airbase or an unexpected incident or crisis site. This is powered by a set of advanced autonomous sensors that can be deployed quickly. This radio communications network works in tandem with an advanced decision support application that filters, merges and enables intuitive visualization in 2D, 3D or 4D, of the mass of information collected while providing advanced capabilities for conducting field operations.

The foundation of the technical solution is a private broadband multimedia radio network, based on standardized 4G LTE technology, corresponding to the future generation of professional mobile networks (PMR) used today by the security forces and relief organisations for their mission-critical communications, the CNIs (“Critical National Infrastructure”) and the Defense.

The Air Force General Vincent Carré, Inspector General of the Air Forces, Air Division General Serge Cholley, Deputy Commander of Air Defense and Air Operations (CDAOA), and AID Director Emmanuel Chiva, have all expressed their encouragement for French SMEs with expert skills to be working together on projects like this.

"Beyond innovation and expertise, it is the flexibility of the industrial organization, the respect of the standards, the end-to-end quality control and the completeness of the offer that has pleased AID and the Air Force. "

ETELM’s innovative 4G radio solutions are used for critical sites protection and are the keystone to run sensitive security applications.