Civil-Military Aviation Safety Cooperation Agreements Signed
At the 50th International Paris Air Show last week, the chief executive of the European Defence Agency signed agreements with EUROCONTROL and the European Aviation Safety Agency for enhanced cooperation.
Agreements to enhance aviation safety cooperation between the European Defence Agency and civil aviation authorities were signed last week during the 50th International Paris Air Show, which ended June 23. Claude-France Arnould, chief executive of EDA, signed agreements with counterparts from EUROCONTROL, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, and the European Aviation Safety Agency during the event.
EDA's news release about the agreement with EUROCONTROL said the action areas they agreed to address together include remotely piloted aircraft systems, military coordination in SESAR (the Single European Sky Air Traffic Management Research program) deployment, and satellite telecommunications. Signed June 19 by Arnould and Frank Brenner, director general of EUROCONTROL, is it intended to bring about the “Single Sky” system for civilian and military aircraft alike.
"As a civil-military organization, EUROCONTROL is fully committed through this new promising collaboration to increasing our collaboration with EDA to help the military community to be fully integrated in the Single European Sky. These arrangements also set up an optimum environment for the implementation of SESAR technology," Brenner said.
"This agreement will bring together the expertise of EUROCONTROL in civil military ATM coordination and EDA’s in developing and improving military capabilities. We share the common goal to support our respective member states' ministries of defense and to enable their air forces to keep their combat readiness while training and operating in a reshaped environment," Arnould said.
The other agreement was signed by Patrick Goudou, executive director of the European Aviation Safety Agency, and Arnould. It covers the harmonization of military aviation safety requirements with a primary focus on airworthiness. "The EDA-EASA Cooperation Arrangement will improve European civil-military cooperation in aviation safety. EDA and its Member States will profit from EASA’s experience in the field of harmonized airworthiness requirements. EDA, on the other hand, brings in its experience from the military side. This surely will lead to safer skies, for the benefit of all," Arnould said.
"I am delighted to sign this agreement with EDA," Goudou said. "The combined expertise of our two agencies is a great asset that will enable to pave the way for an effective partnership. Our common objective is to promote the highest possible aviation safety standards, in the civil and military domains."