Technology Consulting

We offer a deep technical expertise in Space and Security
and adapt our services to your most critical needs.

Our teams of engineers possess solid backgrounds and deep technical expertise in space and security domains developed over the last three decades. While remaining at the cutting edge of the technology trends, our engineers have developed an innovative and flexible set of tools and pragmatic methodologies matching each client’s expectations.

FDC performs complementary activities from state of the art analysis, application or equipment specifications, support to standardisation and certification, up to prototyping and demonstrations organisation. We customise our services to satisfy our clients’ specific needs.

Our expertise includes:

  •  Technical & Operational Analysis
  •  Technology Monitoring
  •  Benchmarking
  •  Risks Analysis (vulnerability analysis and mitigation, countermeasure definition)
  •  Standardisation
  •  Demonstrations Organisation
  •  Security Operations Management

Case Studies

Context & Objectives

Precise time reference provided by GNSS is crucial for a great variety of critical economic activities such as Energy flow monitoring, Telecommunication networks synchronisation or Financial operations stamping. Proliferation of jamming devices as well as availability of affordable spoofers significantly increase the risk of GNSS equipment disruption with potentially important impacts on the population.

FDC’s Activities

Our business and technical experts provided institutional customers with assessment of GNSS-reliant systems robustness, and identification of corresponding market perspectives. FDC activities included:

  • Monitoring of GNSS jamming/spoofing technology and equipment development
  • Risks assessment for particular infrastructures
  • Quotation and simulation of attacks on GNSS equipment
  • Definition of counter measures at system and receiver levels
  • Elaboration of value chain and market studies

Outcomes

  • Database of incidents threatening GNSS Radio Frequency signals
  • Database of available equipment and techniques able to disrupt GNSS signals
  • Vulnerability analysis of specific Critical Infrastructures to GNSS failure
  • Contribution to the definition of the Galileo OS-NMA providing robustness against spoofing attacks
  • User requirements for the next generation of the European GNSS, Galileo
  • Contribution to the GNSS market report periodically published by the European GNSS Agency

Context & Objectives

The continuous launch of satellites has gradually raised Galileo availability, offering a wealth of opportunities for demonstrating services capabilities and adequacy with user requirements. In this context the European Commission (EC) mandated FDC and its partners (Leonardo and QinetiQ) to implement Pilot Projects demonstrating PRS adequacy for various user applications.

FDC’s Activities

Our teams worked in close collaboration with the EU Joint Research Centre (JRC) to elaborate Pilot Project demonstrations and Workshops. FDC’s activities encompassed:

  • Definition of scenarios demonstrating PRS added-value for Geo-fencing as well as Timing & Synchronisation applications
  • Preparation of Workshop and Pilot Project materials
  • Carrying out of a demonstration

Outcomes

  • 1 Pilot Project event held
  • First implementation of the EU pre-operational PRS Receivers (P3RS2) for demonstration purpose
  • Preparation of further PRS Pilot Project events with the elaboration of demonstration videos

Context & Objectives

The Copernicus programme heavily relies on its independent and dedicated Sentinel satellites, which provide a wealth of Earth observation data on a daily basis. The evolution of user needs with regard to environmental information, along with permanent technology advances, call for an evolution of the Copernicus space-based infrastructure and for a specification of the Sentinels’ next generation. In this context, the European Commission launched a study aiming at identifying the Earth observation data requirements for the next generation of Sentinel satellites.

FDC’s Activities

Based on an update of user requirements, our consultants identified the evolutions of the Copernicus services that would be necessary to meet the requirements. Their main activities consisted in:

  • Building-up of an up-to-date and comprehensive Copernicus products’ portfolio
  • Performing an in-depth gap analysis between updated user needs and the current portfolio
  • Identification of the Copernicus Services evolutions required to fill the gap

Outcomes

  • Comprehensive database of current Copernicus products’ technical specifications
  • Extensive panorama of required product and service evolutions

The achieved results served as a basis for the identification of long-term data requirements, which paved the way to the technical specification of the next generation of Sentinel satellites.

Context & Objectives

Using classified items during Galileo demonstration activities requires the establishment of a security framework. Application of this framework implies the involvement of Member States representatives as well as an early anticipation of the security measures to be implemented. In this context and drawing on our experts’ long experience in Galileo and Security, FDC was tasked by the European Commission to define an appropriate security framework and to elaborate the associated preparatory security documents.

FDC’s Activities

FDC’s activities included:

  • Establishment of classification levels for the tools and equipment planned to be used during the demonstrations
  • Elaboration of guidelines for their transportation, receipt, handling, use, storage and demobilisation

Outcomes

  • Logistic Plans identifying tools and equipment delivery procedures to the experiment location
  • Security Operating Procedures (SecOPs) governing the handling of the classified tools and equipment in particular during the demonstrations

Context & Objectives

Because of the ever-increasing GNSS and telecom threats, security actors are required to be aware of the last technological advances that could be used to enhance the GNSS and telecommunication security.

This is the reason why FDC has been mandated to provide the French Ministry of Defense with insights into both the existing and emerging security solutions for the radio-localisation and telecommunication technologies (3G and 4G).

FDC’s Activities

FDC used its deep expertise in radio navigation and telecommunication technologies to successfully contribute to the following studies:

  • Prior art and analysis of technologies and algorithms contributing to a secure and collaborative radio navigation capability. Market evolution forecasts
  • Market study of the telecom networks technologies and their adoptions worldwide. Prior art of the security measure implemented inside the 3G and 4G networks, analysis of the existing security solutions at smartphones level

Outcomes

Identification and market analysis of:

  • Mobile security technologies
  • Collaborative radio navigation applications