MIRICLE

Start date: 01/12/2021

End date: 31/11/2023

Main objective – The objective of the European consortium led by Naval Group and ECA Robotics also known as Miricle project is to answer the high level requirements of this EDIDP Call through a series of targeted activities ranging from studies up to prototyping, leading to the development of a scalable and interoperable multiple Maritime Autonomous System This European MCM Future System will be therfore designed with incremental capabilities to build successive Toolboxes n.0 and Intelligent Platforms in the twenty forthcoming years in order to tackle today’s limitations and shortfalls as well as future challenges of mine countermeasures (evolving mine threats, operational efficiency and safety).

Goals – Leaning upon existing assets, MIRICLE shall draw a technological development roadmap to developand integrate enhanced mine countermeasure (MCM) capabilities into Member States’ procurement plans and pave the way for the upcoming European Defence Fund (EDF). European Navies will thusbenefit from the highest and most interoperable MCM military capabilities, according to NATO standards. MIRICLE will enable significant improvements to carry out all mine countermeasuresmissions. These innovations will address the main components of the stand-off mine warfare solution such as MCM Vessel and robots within Toolbox, mission system, communication network,and artificial intelligence for decision making.

For this ambitious objective, MIRICLE will benefit from the operational and programmatic contribution of the Member States (e.g Belgium and The Netherlands), cooperating in the context of the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). In addition to this military expertise, MIRICLE brings altogether 19 partners (10 EU Member States with Belgium as lead sponsor), with academics, research centres, industries from world leaders in the naval and/or robotics field to small players pushing innovations. Future MCM capabilities require numerous industrial skills, which Europe owns: underwater sensors, data processing, Artificial Intelligence and big data components, unmanned vehicles, launch and recovery systems, naval shipbuilding…). MIRICLE gathers this expertise, bringing MCM solutions to a higher degree of maturity. Altogether, all partners will assess the threats, seek strategies, de-risk disruptive technological solutions and design new operational scenarios.

Total budget: 9.804.192 €

Granted funding: 8.999.661€