Case
Case
We have been a key player in co-developing the research project Secure Digital Military Mobility System (SDMMS), which makes it faster and easier for European countries to obtain the necessary approvals to move military forces and equipment across borders. When implemented, the project will reduce the time needed to gather all diplomatic permits and clearances from up to six weeks to only five days.
Despina Anastasopoulos, Program Manager
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the Ministries of Defense in EU and NATO member countries faced a critical challenge: the process of securing approvals to move military forces and equipment across land, sea, and air borders took weeks instead of days. In the context of a conflict, such a timeframe could prove critical.
»To deploy swiftly, nations need prompt military clearance. Before SDMMS, there was no secure, streamlined system for gathering these approvals. Each country had different bureaucratic hurdles, resulting in costly delays to get the necessary approvals for military mobilisation«, explains Despina Anastasopoulos, Program Manager at Netcompany.
To improve the military clearance process, we joined the EU-backed research project SDMMS. The goal is to create a federated, interoperable, logistic mission network to allow countries to exchange mission-critical information, requests, and grant approvals, and securely handle sensitive documents in a digital format.
Funded by the European Defence Fund, the project lasts 36 months and cost 10,823,062.50 €, with numerous European Ministries of Defense and other vendors involved. As a key player in the project, we are leading system analysis, testing, and compliance efforts in SDMMS, while contributing to design and development.
»SDMMS eliminates bottlenecks by providing a unified digital channel for cross-border approvals. When implemented, the system makes it possible for countries to move military equipment and personnel quicker, all aligned with the NATO and EU requirements for interoperability and speed,« Despina Anastasopoulos says.
High mobility Jackal vehicles disembark from a Roll-on/roll-off cargo ship at Emden in Germany. Image credit: UK Ministry of Defence.
Having completed system analysis and architecture design, the SDMMS is currently in its development phase. The initial release is planned for mid 2025, with broader rollout taking place at the end of the year. Nine Ministries of Defense are involved in the co-development, with the goal to participate in a real-life military mobility exercise towards the end of 2025. The long-term goal is for SDMMS to be adopted by all EU and NATO member states.
»At first, access will be limited to the nine countries whose MoDs participated in the co-creation process by delivering requirements and taking part in the validation and testing process. But the vision is for all Ministries of Defence to adopt SDMMS, as it provides a streamlined, secure, and faster process for military mobilisation,« explains Despina Anastasopoulos.
Centralised and simplified military movement approvals
SDMMS provides a unified “single mission request” process for cross-border military movements, streamlining approvals for deployment, air, and sea clearances across multiple nations.
Federated and configurable architecture
SDMMS supports decentralised deployments, allowing each nation to configure the system to its specific needs, including national authentication solutions and logistical systems.
Security by Design
Implements end-to-end encrypted communication, role-based access control, and national eID authentication for secure operation across classified and unclassified networks.
Interoperability across nations and standards
Ensures seamless operation with NATO, EU, and national systems through compliance with ISO 10303/STANAG 4661 and integration with existing tools like LOGFAS and customs systems.
See how a partnership with Netcompany can benefit your organisation.
See how a partnership with Netcompany can benefit your organisation.
Netcompany
See how a partnership with Netcompany can benefit your organisation.
