Overview
The digitalisation of European armed forces demands a shift from reactive to predictive maintenance of military equipment to ensure readiness, safety, and interoperability in high-threat environments. Current systems lack the advanced monitoring and data-processing capabilities needed to forecast equipment failures, especially in firearms. As geopolitical tensions rise, the EU must modernise its Soldier Systems and strengthen its strategic autonomy. Military reliability depends heavily on the health of weapons and their operators, which requires constant, accurate data. Ensuring operational effectiveness also involves securing communications, reducing logistics strain, and maintaining technical superiority against global competitors through high-tech, robust, and integrated defence solutions.
RAPTOR will develop and integrate a low-cost, robust Condition Monitoring system into military firearms using printed, weapon-specific sensors and bespoke electronics. These components will track parameters like temperature, vibration, and acceleration, enabling real-time diagnostics and Predictive Maintenance. By embedding secure wireless communications and edge-processing capabilities, RAPTOR ensures data is processed close to the source, reducing network load and improving responsiveness. It supports interoperability with EU forces through standardised data formats and interfaces. Through AI-driven analytics and the Internet of Military Things (IoMT), RAPTOR will increase weapon reliability, safety, and operational lifespan, aligning with the EU’s Strategic Compass for defence modernisation.
Objectives
Design, develop, and validate the operation of robust, low-cost, printed sensors.
Design, develop, and validate in the lab secure-by-design, application-specific IoMT electronic systems.
Design, develop, and validate in relevant lab environments technically robust, safe, traceable, accountable, defence-trusted AI algorithms pertaining to matters of human oversight.
Design the complete system architecture, develop its components, integrate them into a unified system and validate RAPTOR in a representative environment.
Maximise impact through wide means of Dissemination, Communication and Exploitation, standardisation and policy recommendations, including alignment with NATO standards.
eBOS Role in the Project
In RAPTOR, eBOS plays a key role in driving the project’s technical success and ensuring its outcomes are successfully disseminated. Specifically, eBOS will monitor the overall progress and quality of the technical work, as well as track the project’s milestones, to ensure that the scientific and technological outcomes align with the project’s work plan and that the results meet the technical requirements necessary to achieve the project’s goals.
Moreover, eBOS will lead the Dissemination and Communication activities, developing and implementing strategies to maximise visibility and stakeholder engagement. This will include establishing the project’s visual identity, maintaining communication channels (website, social media, newsletter), creating impactful content, and organising project-related events.
Additionally, eBOS will lead the market potential assessment, conducting detailed market analyses to identify opportunities for the successful commercialisation and long-term sustainability of RAPTOR solutions.
Finally, eBOS will coordinate Work Package 6 ‘Detailed Design Definition’, leading the comprehensive design of the RAPTOR system architecture. In this context, eBOS will oversee the definition of detailed technical specifications and lead the design and development of user dashboards, intuitive interfaces, data management infrastructure, and dynamic, resilient communication layers, ensuring seamless interoperability among all system components.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Defence Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
