Summary of international collaborations within the HPM research area at FOI

The HPM field of research at FOI has through the years had many international collaborations and information exchanges. This has enabled covering a larger number of basic technology areas forming the foundation of HPM, than would have been possible otherwise. The fact that results produced within the HPM research at FOI has found interest internationally, been able to be published at conferences and in scientific journals, and has led to international collaborations and projects, is also a measure indicating that the research at FOI has been relevant in an international context. This report gives an overview of now active international agreement connected collaborations relating to the HPM project at FOI. This includes Nordic collaborations through NORDAC (presently NORDEFCO), bilateral collaboration with the French-German defence research institute ISL, participation in consortia within the European Union seventh frame program, and formation of European networks for research and technology development within central areas for HPM research. The HPM area is of a sensitive nature, in particular concerning the susceptibility of critical electronic equipment for irradiation with microwaves as well as the knowledge of how a radiation source should be designed to reach maximum effect in sensitive electronic systems. Conducting an entirely separate, from the outside world cut off, research and development within the HPM area would only be possible with a very large economic effort in a project on national basis incorporating hundreds of persons at FOI, FMV, defence industry, universities and consultants. International collaboration is not just highly cost efficient, but also an insurance against the risk of overseeing a crucial fact in the analysis and development within the technology area HPM.