Fréjus Tunnel, Europe – In a significant step towards bolstering the resilience of Europe’s critical infrastructure, the ATLANTIS – Horizon Europe Project successfully conducted its first Large Scale Pilot (LSP) this past June. The exercise, held at the strategic Fréjus Tunnel connecting France and Italy, tested the project’s integrated platform against a simulated, complex hybrid threat.
The meticulously planned scenario involved a coordinated cyber and physical terrorist attack, featuring a cyber intrusion combined with a weaponized drone strike. This simulation was designed to rigorously test the management of consequences arising from such an attack, which would hypothetically disable the tunnel for several days. No individuals or infrastructure were harmed during this controlled exercise.
The primary objective of this LSP was to showcase the advanced capabilities of the ATLANTIS framework in managing a major transborder crisis. The exercise highlighted the platform’s ability to facilitate quick, complex, and coordinated responses among a multitude of stakeholders and government agencies from both France and Italy. This is a critical aspect of enhancing security and ensuring operational continuity for vital cross-border infrastructure.
A key focus of the demonstration was the ATLANTIS Hypervision Tool, which functions as a Command and Control (C4) system. This central application facilitates seamless collaboration between French and Italian authorities, as well as among different state departments within each country. The Hypervision Tool serves as the main interface for the end-user, integrating and displaying information from various other ATLANTIS components, which were also showcased during the pilot:
SAFER by Engineering Group: A sophisticated data fusion and threat detection component that also assesses interdependencies.
DSS by Siemens: An AI-based Decision Support System designed to aid in complex crisis management scenarios.
Earth Observation analysis by RESALLIENCE: Providing crucial analytical capabilities based on earth observation data.
SNIFER by CEA: An advanced air quality sensor to monitor environmental conditions during a crisis.
The successful execution of this large-scale pilot has demonstrated that the ATLANTIS framework can be a game-changer for future pan-European crisis management. It fosters efficient cooperation between diverse stakeholders and enables more effective and coordinated responses to protect our critical infrastructure.
The ATLANTIS project extends its sincere gratitude to SITEF (Sina Sitaf) for their warm hospitality and to the dedicated organizers of this pivotal event. The invaluable collaboration of all project partners and the French and Italian authorities was instrumental in the success of this exercise. Together, we are building a more resilient and secure Europe.
