Harmonised Approach for Resilient Proactive Intelligence Assessment in DEFENCE
Overview
HARPIA-Defence is an integrated AI-driven defence ecosystem inspired by the mythical HARPIA, symbolising superior surveillance, situational awareness, and intelligence gathering. It addresses modern defence needs by combining advanced AI monitoring, autonomous cybersecurity, blockchain-secured communications, and adaptive network management into a unified system.
The modular architecture comprises nine interoperable pillars, including a high-endurance unmanned surveillance network (HUS-Net), a central cybersecurity intelligence hub (HERMES-Hub), autonomous decision-making (AIPAY-Ops), and secure communication and access control (BlockSe-Com, SA-Con). HARPIA enables GPS-independent operations, extended coverage, intelligent swarm coordination, and real-time threat detection, while ensuring resilient data integrity and continuous network functionality through self-healing mechanisms. Its AI-driven resource management and predictive maintenance reduce operational costs and improve readiness. By seamlessly integrating surveillance, cybersecurity, communications, and autonomous systems, HARPIA provides a scalable, adaptable, and secure defence ecosystem that enhances operational effectiveness, reliability, and safety in complex, dynamic environments.
Objectives
Establish a unified cybersecurity intelligence and communication ecosystem framework.
Implement AI-driven autonomous cybersecurity and network management.
Develop a high-endurance unmanned surveillance network.
Create a centralised operational control system.
Enhance efficiency and security through zero-touch automation.
Foster a culture of innovation and enable rapid prototyping and deployment.
Enhance situational awareness and security through continuous surveillance and advanced threat detection.
Impact maximisation through comprehensive means of dissemination, communication and exploitation.
Integrate and validate the capabilities and performance of HARPIA-enabling technologies.
eBOS Role in the Project
eBOS plays a central role in the HARPIA project, leading key Work Packages and tasks focused on project coordination, design definition, and prototype development. eBOS serves as a key driver of HARPIA, leveraging its prior experience as coordinator of the HERMES Data Exchange Platform (DXP) to build an advanced, next-generation defence ecosystem. HARPIA can be seen as a continuation and expansion of HERMES, enhancing AI-driven surveillance, secure communications, and autonomous decision-making across military operations.
Under WP1, eBOS ensures smooth project execution, oversees quality assurance, manages intellectual property, and drives dissemination and communication activities, including stakeholder engagement, branding, and knowledge sharing.
In WP3 and WP4, eBOS leads the design of critical HARPIA components, including COpCon-Face, the centralised operational interface, SA-Con, the AI-driven zero-trust access control system, and AUTOCYBER-Sol, the autonomous cybersecurity solution. These tasks involve specifying architectures, user interfaces, threat detection algorithms, and AI-based security policies, ensuring interoperability, usability, and real-time responsiveness.
In WP5 and WP6, eBOS advances these designs into functional prototypes, integrating AI-driven analytics, anomaly detection, and adaptive cybersecurity measures, while optimising user experience and operational effectiveness. Leveraging its expertise in AI, cybersecurity, and secure communications, eBOS ensures HARPIA’s components meet high defence standards, enhance situational awareness, and enable autonomous, secure, and resilient operations across the defence ecosystem.
Co-funded by the European Union with GA no. 101224172. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Defence Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
