• Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Youtube
  • Contact
Alliance for Strategic Skills addressing Emerging Technologies in Defence
ASSETs+ project
  • About
    • Consortium
    • Pact for Skills for Defence
    • External Experts
    • Associated Stakeholders
  • Results
    • Education & Training
    • Defence Technologies Roadmap and Skills Blueprint
      • Data driven analisis for Technologies Roadmap
      • Data driven analisis for Skills Blueprint
      • Brainstorming sessions
    • Body of Knowledge
    • Strategy for developing Skills and Competences in the Defence Sector
    • Fiches
  • European Defence Challenge
  • Observatory
  • Education & Training
  • Job Opportunities
  • Media
    • News
    • Newsletters
    • Events
    • Videos
    • Press releases
    • Media kit
  • Call for stakeholders
  • Menu Menu
Blog - Latest News

RMA Team wins the II edition of the ASSETs+ European Defence Challenge

2 June 2022/in news /by Fransisca Tena

Interview with the winners of the II edition of the ASSETs+ European Defence Challenge: Andreas Wouters and Nathan Prakopetz from the Royal Military Academy, Belgium (RMA).

We – sub lieutenant KBO Andreas Wouters and adjutant KBO Nathan Prakopetz – decided in November 2021 to participate together in the European Defence Challenge. The theme of this competition was ‘Remote everything? To what extent can unmanned assets interact with humans in the field for defence operations?’.

Despite the fact that RMA is a small community, we were strangers to each other at the start of the competition. The foundation of our cooperation is a shared interest in anti-aircraft artillery. Gradually, we became passionate about the dangers of hypersonic missiles. In the first phase of the competition, we had to write a short essay. In the second phase, the best 25 teams were selected to write a ten-page paper on their respective topic. In total, there were 130 entries from 16 European countries. In the final phase, three finalist teams gave a short presentation on their respective topics. After this, the organisers awarded us the first place, of which we are extremely proud.

What is so special about hypersonic missiles?

Hypersonic missiles are guided missiles that are very worrying because of two characteristics. On the one hand because of their hypersonic speed – higher than Mach 5. On the other hand because of their unpredictable trajectory in the atmosphere. These two characteristics together make it impossible for existing air defence systems to stop this type of missile. At the start of this research, this hypersonic technology was somewhat futuristic. The European Defence Agency classified it as an Emerging Disruptive Technology in 2021. However, on March 18, 2022, Russia for the first time used a hypersonic missile in operation, as part of their war in Ukraine. This first deployment in operation underlines the need for a modern air defence system to protect European airspace against modern, complex air threats.

What is the solution?

Bringing modern air defence systems up to the hypersonic level requires hardware and software upgrades. Increased autonomy plays a crucial role in minimising the time between the detection of an enemy hypersonic missile and firing an intercepting missile. However, we must not forget that technological advances take place in a multidimensional context. In the realisation of new technology, legal, ethical, sociological and economic aspects, among others, must be considered.

What made us a successful team?

For a multidimensional problem, a multidisciplinary team is the solution. We both follow a totally different academic track. Nathan is a student of the 174th Polytechnics (=Engineering) Promotion. With his academic knowledge of the exact sciences, he took care of the technical side of the research. Andreas is a pupil of the 158th Promotion in Social and Military Sciences. During his academic career, he has studied a broad spectrum of human sciences. This allowed him to analyse the impact of increasing autonomy in air defence systems on our society. As a team, we complemented each other perfectly. By bringing together the knowledge of both faculties, we outdid ourselves. This was the ‘secret’ ingredient for our victory.

Where there is a will, there is a way!

Our cooperation was not easy. Andreas spent the second semester at the United States Military Academy of West Point. Because of this, we always had to take into account the six-hour time difference when scheduling a video call. Nathan was our spokesperson on the home front, liaising with the RMA professors. During our weekly video calls, there was always a short debriefing of our individual progress. Throughout the process, we were supported by both our academic and military staff. We would like to explicitly mention Colonel Johan Gallant, professor in the department of weapon systems and ballistics.

Next year another European Defence Challenge will be organised. We hope that our success story will motivate other students to sign up and experience for themselves that an inter-faculty & multi-disciplinary project is enriching in all respects.

Eager to serve, willing to learn!
Andreas and Nathan

  • Download their proposal here.
  • Watch their presentation here.
Tags: European Defence Challenge
Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share by Mail
https://assets-plus.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/EDCII-RMA-winner-team.png 333 599 Fransisca Tena https://assets-plus.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/web-200_100.png Fransisca Tena2022-06-02 10:13:162022-06-02 10:47:41RMA Team wins the II edition of the ASSETs+ European Defence Challenge
You might also like
The ASSETs+ European Defence Challenge 2nd edition enters its final stretch
Join us next December 12 on the #EuropeanDefenceChallenge III edition Webinar with Experts!
Now available the video of the #EuropeanDefenceChallenge Webinar with Experts
The II edition of the European Defence Challenge is coming. Do you want to know all the details? Join us next October 20
Juliette GUILLOT (Nouvelle-Aquitaine Office), Antoine FERAL (ROLLS-ROYCE), Vincent MAZZONE (Nouvelle-Aquitaine Office), Miguel GARRIDO MORENO (Winner of the EDC I), Marie RAOUL (University of Bordeaux), Eric GRIVEL (Bordeaux INP/University of Bordeaux A day in Brussels with the winners of the I edition of the ASSETs+ European Defence Challenge
Meet the winners of the ASSETs+ European Defence Challenge II edition!
February 14th last day for submitting #EuropeanDefenceChallenge 2nd phase proposals!
ASSETs+ European Defence Challenge III edition Awards Ceremony

Latest news

  • Airbus A330 MRTT: The 21st century benchmark for new generation tanker/transport aircraft24 March 2023 - 6:52 AM
  • #DYK the Main Ground Combat System programme?16 March 2023 - 3:03 PM
  • ASSETs+ European Defence Challenge III edition Awards Ceremony10 March 2023 - 11:26 AM
  • Almost 140 participants joined the ENDR Conference in Lisbon6 March 2023 - 4:31 PM

Upcoming Events

Mar 28
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

ASSETs+ European Defence Challenge III ed. Awards Ceremony

Apr 17
April 17 - April 18

Military Robotics & Autonomous Systems 2023

May 1
May 1 - May 4

EDUCON 2023

May 15
May 15 - May 17

International Meet on Sensors and Sensing Technology SENSORSMEET2023

May 17
May 17 @ 8:00 AM - May 19 @ 5:00 PM

FEINDEF 2023

View Calendar

Tweets by ASSETS_Plus

The European Commission’s support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Tweets by ASSETS_Plus

Newsletter:

Follow us on:

© Copyright 2021 ASSETs+. All Rights Reserved.
  • Privacy and Cookies policy
Meet the winners of the ASSETs+ European Defence Challenge II edition! ASSETs+ at the iMUGS demonstration in Belgium
Scroll to top