Interviewee: Angus Kintis, M.Eng. / Program Manager, R&D PMO Dept., INTRACOM DEFENSE S.A.

Role in PROTEAS project: PROTEAS Project Coordinator

Question: Please describe in a few words your position, background and role in the PROTEAS project.

Angus Kintis: On behalf of INTRACOM DEFENSE (IDE), I have the honour of leading the very innovative and also highly intriguing PROTEAS project, acting as its Project Coordinator. Along with another 3 very competent colleagues of mine from the IDE PMO Dept., we are jointly responsible for the overall administration and project management of PROTEAS, including interfacing with the EC and supporting MoDs appointed representatives.

An Aeronautical Engineer by studies, I have more than 20 years of experience in project management and more than 17 years of experience in EU co-funded research projects, under various frameworks/instruments (EDF/EDIDP, EDA, Horizon 2020, FP7/FP6/FP5, etc.). During my time at IDE, I was also the Coordinator of the previously successfully concluded EDIDP project titled “SMOTANET”, while I have further managed IDE’s project teams in various other research projects (such as 5G COMPAD, ODIN’s EYE, INTERACT, HERMES, etc.).

Question: Please describe in a few words the role of your entity in the PROTEAS project and the business goals you aim to achieve through the participation.

Angus Kintis: In the PROTEAS project, IDE fulfils the roles of both Project and Technical Coordinator. In addition, IDE is further responsible for the study, design and delivery of several PROTEAS SOF CP (Command Post) components, including: the rapidly deployable Facilities (consisting of tents/containers, a water/waste management system and various peripherals); an Energy Supply System (building on a highly-innovative, horizontally scalable and efficient microgrid architecture); various components of the Intelligence platform (namely the IMINT, GEOINT, SIGINT, ISR Library, Map Server and the overall HMI for the Intelligence Platform); the unmanned systems that extend the SOF CP’s capabilities (specifically an electrically propelled, medium-altitude UAV and a RHIB USV, both employed for ISR missions in the frame of PROTEAS); a Manned Surface Vehicle (or MSV, appropriately equipped so as to permit MIO (Maritime Interdiction Operations)); the MANET communications’ solution (for accommodating exchanges between the Special Operations Forces’ (SOF) officers in the field); and finally, some adaptors enabling the access of NATO and/or national information resources (such as the BICES and other systems). Furthermore, IDE is to also lead the activities of integration and evaluation/demonstration of the PROTEAS System-of-Systems (SoS), at the end of the project.

The business objective of IDE through the PROTEAS project is threefold: first, IDE aims to further advance and expand its product offerings in key business areas, such as Hybrid Energy Systems, Unmanned Systems, and AI/Intelligence products; second, as the Prime Contractor for this initiative, IDE seeks to deliver the first European SOFCP solution in its entirety, by introducing a cutting-edge System-of-Systems to support Special Operations Forces (SOF) in the field, a goal of significant importance at both the national and EU levels; last but not least, IDE intends to foster collaboration with other European defence contractors, demonstrating its ability to lead and successfully complete highly complex and innovative research projects like PROTEAS, thereby strengthening its position at the forefront of defence (R&D) market evolution.

Question: Please describe in a few words why the PROTEAS Consortium is the appropriate team for delivering such an innovative solution.

Angus Kintis: The PROTEAS System-of-Systems (SoS) is a complex solution bringing together several components, that need to operate in a well ‘orchestrated’ and complimentary manner. In addition, as most EDF projects, apart from the EC that provides the majority of the related funding, PROTEAS has several other demanding ‘customers’/end-users, namely the supporting MoDs (of Greece, France, Italy, Belgium and Norway, with the Hellenic MoD acting as the Project Manager on their behalf), that will follow and evaluate the project outcomes, especially during the demonstrations, at the end of the project.

As a result, the integration/evaluation of the PROTEAS SoS, will be one of the most challenging activities in the project. The participation however of established European Defence contractors (THALES, RHEINMETALL, LEONARDO, HENSOLDT, IMPACT and IDE), renown research centres (CEA), along with dynamic, pioneering and highly-specialised SMEs (SQUAREHEAD, SATWAYS, DOTOCEAN, ISD, 8BELLS, UBITECH and C&V CONSULTING), guarantee the success of this exciting endeavour, to deliver a prototyped, highly capable and deployable SOF CP, able to support EU-led SOF Small Joint Operations (SJO), across the globe, as may be required.

In addition, the previous experience and accumulated know-how of IDE as the Coordinator of 3 major ongoing EDF/EDIDP projects (ACTUS, PROTEAS and LOTUS), as well as 1 already successfully concluded (SMOTANET), ensure the efficient management and coordination of this multinational and cross-European team, towards the timely delivery of the project’s envisaged outcomes.