Where Speed Meets Impact in Defense & Security
The DefTech Forges, initiated by TechHUB SVI, offer a unique opportunity to actively shape the future of security and defense technologies—in a practical, collaborative, and impactful way. Working in interdisciplinary teams with leading players from industry, research, and end-users, participants tackle real-world problems and develop innovative solutions. These innovations are not only tested but also put into practice.
Bringing technologies to life
Instead of just discussing ideas, we put technologies into practice: from the initial concept through prototype development to deployment under real-world conditions—guided by experts, supported by strong partners, and embedded in a real operational environment at Erding Air Base.
The goal is to jointly create solutions that close real capability gaps and are quickly implemented.
Interested teams can apply for a challenge during the call for entries by submitting a brief application.
- Minimum age: 18
- Participants’ nationality must match the list of countries
- For organizations: management and shareholders must be from countries on the list; no locations in countries on the list
- NDA ( sent via email)
- Application presentation, max. 5 pages (in PDF format):
- Team
- Team name + contact person,
- Members (name, role, core competency, background, or brief resume)
- Relevant experience & potential references (e.g., comparable industry projects, hackathons, other challenges)
- Solution Concept
- Description of the solution (architecture / approach, core technology)
- Level of innovation (TRL)
- Sketch / diagram (if applicable)
- Stage of development (idea / concept / prototype / product)
- Feasibility & Roadmap
- How will the solution be implemented in practice?
- Planned progress within the Forge (scalability / market potential)
- Required resources (data / hardware / test scenarios)
- Impact & Added Value
- Why is this team particularly well-suited? (Combination of skills and implementation experience; access to relevant stakeholders / markets; ...)
- Team
Your contact
DefTech Forges and Challenges
Each Forge brings together specific challenges from the defense and security sectors that have been defined in collaboration with stakeholders from the field.
The focus is on challenges with high application potential, in which innovative solutions are developed and further refined.
Military Space
deltaVision is a German startup based in Munich and an established supplier of propulsion system components. Building on this expertise, the company is developing the Dynamic Space Operations Vehicle (DOVE)—a platform for the flexible and rapid positioning of payloads in orbit.
DOVE is designed as a dual-use system and addresses both civilian and security-related applications within the context of Germany’s space security strategy.
The platform offers, among other things:
- Modular payload interfaces and the ability to swap payloads in orbit
- Compatibility with European launch systems (e.g., Ariane, Vega, RFA One)
- High orbital mobility (>4 km/s ΔV)
- In-orbit refueling capability
- RPOD capability (Rendezvous, Proximity Operations & Docking)
Payload performance data:
- Up to 5 payloads
- Up to 1,000 kg total mass (max. 300 kg per payload)
- ~2000 W electrical power
- ~2000 W thermal dissipation
- Adjustable downlink capacity and attitude control accuracy
deltaVision does not develop the payloads itself and is therefore seeking external partners. We are looking for concepts for innovative payloads that can be operated on DOVE. Participants should:
- Define an existing or original use case
- Derive end-user requirements as hypotheses
- Design a suitable payload
The development process is iterative—adjustments to the platform are also possible to maximize its benefits.
Missiles & Ammunition
Offensive hypersonic weapon systems offer great potential for high-impact, long-range missions. Thanks to intensive space and defense technology research, as well as demonstrator programs and funding from the BAAINBw, Germany already has a very strong foundation. Through its experience with hypersonic technologies and demonstrator programs, MBDA Germany is closely networked with various stakeholders in the Bundeswehr ecosystem.
The key challenge lies not only in developing technologies, but also in advancing technology maturation and development programs in parallel. Since this sector has tended to be rather closed and risk-averse up to now, MBDA Germany aims, through the HI² Challenge, to specifically open up the field of technology maturation to new market entrants, such as startups and small and medium-sized enterprises. The goal is to further develop innovative technologies at an early stage and later integrate them into concrete programs.
- Administrative review and facilitation of interactions between startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with the Bundeswehr’s R&D landscape and the industrial integrator MBDA Deutschland
- Identification of innovative but high-risk technological solutions in the following areas:
- GNSS-resilient navigation and structurally integrated antennas
- ITAR-exempt power supply
- Mechanical, thermal, and logical integration of novel IMUs
- Innovative sensor integration
- Long-range cryptographic communication technology
TRL: 3–5
The goal is to be able to present TRL 5 demonstrators of the respective subsystems following the HI² Challenge. Following an agreement with the German Armed Forces, a roadmap should be available outlining how these technologies can be advanced to TRL 6 so that they can then be integrated into a development program.
Unmanned Systems
- Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5 or higher
- The system must already be technologically validated and capable of being demonstrated in a relevant environment.
- Capability to detect and classify ground-based threats
- Capability for situational awareness and analysis integration
- Willingness to participate in a standardized test format
- Participants must agree to defined interfaces, security requirements, and evaluation criteria.
- Participation as a company or consortium
- Contributions from sensor technology, platforms, AI, command and control software, and data fusion are expressly encouraged
Cyber Protection
Historically, standard drone communication (control links and telemetry) has prioritized range and low latency over security. Thanks to affordable software-defined radios (SDR) and open-source protocols with varying levels of documentation (e.g., MAVLink, CRSF), the barrier to entry for signal manipulation has dropped dramatically. Furthermore, UAVs are equipped with various sensors to monitor their surroundings, which in turn can serve as attack vectors.
Specific Problem:
Inadequately secured UAS are at risk of operational disruption due to signal jamming, the manipulation of navigation data (spoofing), or the unauthorized takeover of system control (hijacking). Commercially available systems do not comprehensively address hardening against attacks and provide entry points for manipulation.
There are two approaches to consider:
- Team Red: Identifying vulnerabilities in the standard setups. The goal is to disrupt communication, intercept or tamper with telemetry data, or inject commands to take control of the flight controller.
- Team Blue: Hardening the existing system. The goal is to develop and implement mechanisms such as secure encryption, robust authentication, or anti-jamming routines without disrupting operational use.
The developed solutions will be presented and validated, ranging from tabletop setups to flights under real-world conditions.
- Vulnerability Disclosure: The goal is to identify vulnerabilities in existing systems and assess their implications for operational use
- Real-world applicability: Software patches and security concepts resulting from this can be directly integrated into industry as well as open-source projects (ExpressLRS, Ardupilot, PX4, etc.).
- Promotion of innovation: The Aurora Challenge sees itself as a practical catalyst in the field of cyber-physical systems. The aim is to further develop concepts for securing existing systems as well as for drone defense. The solutions submitted enhance security and expand the scope of operational use.
Do you already have a prototype or product that fits this challenge? If so, please feel free to contact us directly at:
Critical infrastructure and high-value targets (air defense systems, radar stations, etc.) are increasingly threatened by unknown or hostile unmanned systems (UxS). Early detection and the effective neutralization of such threats are therefore essential and of great national interest. In addition to the potential use of effectors (artillery, jammers, high-energy lasers), a further and cost-effective defense must be identified and integrated into an anti-drone solution.
Furthermore, the targeted development of national expertise in this technological field is of central importance to sustainably protect Germany against hostile activities.
Scenario:
Protection of critical infrastructure (e.g., Bundeswehr property) against drone attacks; due to structural, operational, and security-related constraints, the use of conventional jamming systems or kinetic effectors is only possible to a limited extent or is not feasible
- Reliable detection of unknown UxS in the operational area using cellular and complementary approaches
- Detection of drones in the cellular network
- Detection of drones using the cellular network (e.g., ICAS, JCAS)
- Supplementary detection of non-cellular systems (e.g., FPV/“dark” drones) using network-based and external methods
- Interception and analysis of communication links of unknown UxS
- Interception of cellular and non-cellular radio and data traffic (e.g., control and video connections)
- Extraction of relevant information (e.g., control commands, telemetry, video data)
- Analysis, decoding, and, if necessary, decryption of this information
- Development and evaluation of methods for taking control of and neutralizing UxS
- Development of methods for control takeover (collaborative and non-collaborative drones)
- AI-based generation and adaptation of takeover mechanisms
- Manipulation of communication links (cellular and non-cellular), in particular:
- Injecting misinformation or targeted control of the system
- Taking control and transitioning to a safe state (e.g., safe-spot landing)
- Interference with navigation through:
- Manipulation of video signals (e.g., FPV/“dark” drones)
- Combination with other disruptive measures
- Integration of alternative influence vectors
- Interference with navigation systems (e.g., GNSS-related measures such as spoofing)
- Combining interventions in communication and navigation systems for effective neutralization
- Protection of own UxS and systems in a cellular environment
- Protection against external communication disruptions and takeover attempts
- Protection of communications through post-quantum cryptography (PQC)
- Integration of Physical Layer Security (PLS)
- Protection against AI-based attacks and securing proprietary AI systems against manipulation and deception
- Research into mechanisms for detecting and neutralizing unknown or hostile unmanned systems (UxS) in operational environments, particularly through the use of cellular and network-based communication infrastructures
- Research into mechanisms for taking over, influencing, or controlled neutralization of hostile UxS, including cyber- and communication-based approaches for taking over control and influencing sensor data (e.g., video or control data)
- Research into mechanisms for protecting friendly UxS from external communication disruptions, takeover attempts, and AI-based attacks
- Implementation of the developed protection and action mechanisms into a radio-based overall system (e.g., 5G campus network)
- Demonstration and evaluation of both functional modes (attack/neutralization and protection) in a realistic wireless network
- Protection of critical infrastructure (KRITIS)—such as energy and water supply systems, telecommunications networks, transportation hubs, government buildings, Bundeswehr facilities, and industrial plants—against hostile unmanned systems (UxS) that pose a significant risk of physical damage, sabotage, espionage, and information loss
- Provision of a comprehensive, efficient, and scalable solution for drone defense that encompasses both early detection and the neutralization and/or takeover of UxS, thereby enabling a continuous chain of protection for critical infrastructure
- Combination of modern key technologies, in particular
- AI-supported detection, analysis, and decision support
- network-based sensor and communication infrastructures (e.g., 5G campus networks)
- Modular and scalable countermeasures for adaptive defense against various types of UxS
Approaches in the field of cellular network infrastructures (e.g., 5G/6G-based detection, communication, manipulation, and protection mechanisms): TRL 6 and above
Other technologies and methods outside the cellular network context (e.g., alternative wireless connections, GNSS-based methods, FPV/video or sensor systems): open (TRL 0)
FAQs
DefTech Forges is an innovation format designed for the rapid development, testing, and demonstration of new technological solutions in the context of security and defense. The format represents a further development of traditional challenges and hackathons and aims not only to discuss technology conceptually, but also to make it tangible on-site, demonstrate it in practice, and subsequently implement and scale it.