Józef Wrona z Łukasiewicz – PIAP w zespole nagrodzonym przez NATO
15-04-2021

Reserve Colonel Józef Wrona, BEng, PhD, DSc from Łukasiewicz – PIAP on the team awarded by NATO

The NATO Science and Technology Organization has awarded a team, consisting of Reserve Colonel Józef Wrona, BEng, PhD, DSc, working with Łukasiewicz – PIAP. They have created a project, under which a new modelling technique was developed, supporting amongst other things the design process of new ground platforms, as well as mission planning and execution.  

Józef Wrona

Reserve Colonel Józef Wrona, BEng, PhD, DSc is the Plenipotentiary for the Director of Defence Projects at Łukasiewicz Research Network – Industrial Research Institute for Automation and Measurements PIAP and a member of the team awarded by the NATO Science and Technology Organization. The awarded project has developed a new modelling technique, which supports the design process of new ground platforms, as well as mission planning and execution. The app can also be used in civil applications – in agriculture and forestry. The awarded project “Next-Generation NATO Reference Mobility Model Development and Demonstration” was carried out as part of the NATO STO Task Group (Applied Vehicle Technology NATO Science and Technology Organization panel). The group consisted of 56 representatives from 15 countries. The project aimed to determine modelling techniques for predicting the mobility of ground platforms in different environments, including off-road conditions. The proposed solution is based on satellite data and involves analysing ground vehicle simulation models and all the components of the vehicle’s operating environment, including in natural (e.g. hills, forests, fields, rivers) and artificial (e.g. ditches, bridges, embankments) settings under various climatic conditions. The models are verified and validated under real conditions. The tool allows to determine the capabilities of ground vehicles in any environmental conditions, on both deformable and non-deformable ground. The tool can be used to predict the mobility of ground platforms in real environmental conditions at the mission planning and implementation stage. This solution may also be used at the design stage. That way, ground vehicles equipped with the mobility prediction tool will meet the requirements laid down by the armies of NATO membership countries. The developed solution will allow to create tools for a quick evaluation of ground platform mobility already at the application concept development stage and throughout the design process. As a result, the armies of NATO countries will be able to purchase safe and cost-efficient ground platforms, featuring an advanced level of mobility optimized for all applications, from fast road transport to off-road conditions. As a result, the users will have access to a tool that lets them choose the optimum platform for their military mission, and operations commanders will be able to select the safest and easiest way to move their forces. International programs Reserve Colonel Józef Wrona, BEng, PhD, DSc manages the International Cooperation Programme for Defence Technologies, with Łukasiewicz – PIAP participating in North Atlantic Treaty Organization projects, including the NATO Science and Technology Organization (NATO STO), as well as in European Union projects, such as the European Defence Fund (EDF) and the European Defence Agency (EDA). As part of these projects, the Institute will participate in the continuation of EDA “IED Detection Programme” (IEDDET-programme), in the establishment of the “Combat Unmanned Ground Systems” (CUGS) project and of projects within the European Defence Fund, including the “Transformative Advanced Capabilities for Armoured Platforms” (TACAP). About Reserve Colonel Józef Wrona, BEng, PhD, DSc Józef Wrona, associate professor in technical sciences, has experience in obtaining funding for national and international research and development projects on innovative defence technologies, mainly on unmanned ground platforms, and in their management and execution. Privately, he enjoys poetry, music, including classical music and sports – fitness, running, swimming and hiking. About the award The 2020 NATO AVT Panel Excellence Award is given out annually by the award committee of the AVT (Applied Vehicle Technology, AVT) Panel, an organisation functioning under NATO STO (NATO Science and Technology Organization, NATO STO). It is the highest team distinction among the activities of the AVT Panel, which is one of the six Panels of a single Group (Applied Vehicle Technology (AVT), Human Factors and Medicine (HFM), Information Systems Technology (IST), System Analysis and Studies (SAS), Systems Concepts and Integration (SCI), Sensors & Electronics Technology (SET), and NATO Modelling and Simulation (M&S) Group (NMSG)), under which the main NATO STO tasks are carried out. The Panel Excellence Award is given both in the team and individual category. The annual Young Contributor award is also given out for the outstanding achievements of young AVT NATO STO Panel scientists.