Protection of personnel, systems and infrastructure
Optimising the best protection of personnel, systems and infrastructure in all situations and circumstances against existing and future threats is of course a priority for Defence. This focus areas thus covers a great number of studies within the STRD programme.
Research in this domain will include the protection against naval mines in coastal waters in the form of counter measures.
It will also include the protection of infrastructure in terms of dimensioning and maintenance of structures, in particular complex dynamic loads (e.g. an explosion), fatigue analysis and structure reliability.
The soldier’s individual protection requires a particular attention to threats related to terrorism and unconventional or asymmetrical warfare.
“Survivability” studies will make it possible to analyse collective protection (vehicles and shelters).
“Systems of systems” modelling will make it possible for general staffs to choose ad hoc equipment according to missions, theatres of operations, etc. For the protection of personnel against (terrorist) CBRN threats, research will focus on detection of CBRN agents (viruses, bacteria, toxins, etc.), physical and medical protection, knowledge of physio-pathological mechanisms and decontamination. For the protection of personnel and systems against unconventional weapon systems, research will turn towards:
- Knowledge of physio-pathological mechanisms caused by less-lethal arms and medical counter measures against ballistic weapons, assessment of the non-lethality of electromagnetic weapons or wideband radars;
- Systems vulnerability and their protection against electromagnetic weapons;
- Protection of observation against laser aggressions;
- Directed-energy weapons and asymmetric warfare counter measures (detection, prevention, reduction of the risk of asymmetric attacks, etc.) (suicide attacks, improvised explosive devices, weapons of mass destruction);
- Fight against networks of improvised explosive devices and unmanned airborne systems (UAS).
Health-related aspects in terms of physical security, in particular the protection of personnel against environmental constraints, are now covered under the axis A10 “Advanced Military Health”.