2023
Nov 29
KOM - Kick off Meeting
Madrid, Spain
HYDEF
HYPERSONIC DEFENSE
HYDEF is a cutting-edge European defence initiative aimed at advancing hypersonic defence systems to enhance European security and strategic autonomy. Here, you will find essential information about us, project timeline, structure of the project, funding & support, our objectives, consortium, news & events and previous communication activities.
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or OCCAR. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Introducing HYDEF
The “European Hypersonic Defence Interceptor” (HYDEF) project is a European collaborative initiative under the European Defence Fund (EDF).
It focuses on the development of next-generation defence capabilities against hypersonic threats. The project brings together leading European organisations in defence, aerospace, and technology to design and prototype innovative interception solutions.
The HYDEF project will develop a European interceptor targeting the 2035+ threats, weapon and sensor systems. The project will result in the concept of a cost-effective endo-atmospheric interceptor able to operate in different air levels encompassing new aerodynamic and actuator system for high maneuverability, highly agile guidance concepts, and advanced sensor/seeker systems.
HYDEF aims to contribute to European strategic independence by fostering technological advancements that address emerging security challenges in the global defence landscape.
EDF OVerview
Call Title
PROTECTION AGAINST HIGH-VELOCITY AERIAL THREATS
Topic Title
ENDO-ATMOSPHERIC INTERCEPTOR – CONCEPT PHASE
Types of Activities
STUDY & DESIGN
MORE INFO: EU HYDEF FACTSHEET
12
Entities
Participating
5
EU member states
Involved
110M€
Total Costs
Estimated
100M€
EU contribution
Maximum
36
Months
Duration
what HYDEF IS ALL ABOUT
The HYDEF project aims to:
Develop advanced defence mechanisms capable of countering hypersonic threats.
Enhance European defence capabilities and strategic autonomy.
Promote technological innovation in missile interception and tracking.
Strengthen cooperation among European defence industries and research institutions.
Provide a roadmap for future operational deployment of hypersonic defence systems.
Gap covered by the HYDEF
HYDEF IN ACTION: MISSION SIMULATION
Structure of the project
The project is organized into 9 work pillars, categorised into study-oriented and design-oriented tasks.
The study-oriented WPs focus on research, threat assessment, and theoretical advancements, while the design-oriented WPs are dedicated to developing practical solutions, prototyping, and validating key technologies.
The goal is to achieve technology maturity levels high enough to transition into the next phase of the project, bringing hypersonic defence capabilities closer to operational deployment.
project Funding & support
HYDEF is a project co-funded by the European Union, under the European Defence Fund, and Belgium, Germany, Norway, Poland and Spain, as participating states.
The Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’Armement; OCCAR) has been entrusted the management of the HYDEF project by the European Commission (EC) and the participating states.
This project demonstrates the EU’s and European states’ commitment to enhancing European security and defence capabilities. This initiative aligns with the broader European defence strategy to reduce dependency on external defence systems and strengthen EU technological sovereignty.
For further details on EDF and its support mechanisms, you can visit the EDF official website
For further details on the activities of OCCAR within HYDEF, you can visit OCCAR’s official website: https://www.occar.int/our-work/programmes/hydef
Project Timeline
Nov 29
and 30
CSW1 - Core Stakeholder Workshop
Madrid, Spain
2024
Feb 13
and 14
CSW2 - Core Stakeholder Workshop
Röthenbach, Germany
Apr 24
and 25
MCM + PRM1 - Mission Concept milestone
Überlingen, Germany
Jun 12
and 13
CSW3 - Core Stakeholder Workshop
Überlingen, Germany
Aug 27
and 28
MDR - Mission definition review
Raufoss, Norway
Oct 29
and 30
EM-KO + PRM2 - Early maturation Kick off
Madrid, Spain
Nov 20
CSW4 - Core Stakeholder Workshop
Überlingen, Germany
2025
Jan 13
and 17
Plateau - Plateau
Madrid, Spain
Apr 01
and 03
RCW - Reference concept workshop
Überlingen, Germany
Apr 23
PRM3 - Progress review Meeting
Madrid, Spain
Jun 03
and 05
CSW5 - Core Stakeholder Workshop
Überlingen, Germany
Aug 26
and 28
CSM - Concept selection meeting
Überlingen, Germany
news & events
Stay informed about the latest developments in the HYDEF project:
- Regular updates on project milestones.
- Information about upcoming conferences, workshops, and stakeholder meetings.
- Reports on key consortium meetings and progress reviews.