DLR participates in NATO disaster relief exercise in Bulgaria

For nearly a week, approximately 1000 participants from more than a dozen countries will face scenarios involving natural and industrial disasters, hybrid threats and complex emergencies. The focus of this year's exercise is on a heatwave and a storm, primarily affecting civilian populations. Further, participants will practise responding to a severe earthquake that causes thousands of casualties and damages a nuclear power plant. Diverse scenarios allow participants from Allies, partner countries and international organisations – including DLR – to test various technologies and activities and evaluate the effectiveness of their cooperation. The emergency management exercise is being organised by NATO's Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC). The EADRCC supports Allies and partner countries in preparing for natural disasters, human-made disasters and other emergencies. The DLR research projects selected for the BULGARIA 2025 exercise were chosen from a large number of applications.

"DLR is increasingly committed to civil security and defence research through its research and technology development," says Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla, Chair of the DLR Executive Board. "Through intensive knowledge exchange with public stakeholders and authorities with security responsibilities, DLR is increasing the benefits of its research for society – and disaster control is an important example of this. While security is one of society's basic needs, it is simultaneously one of the most important challenges in our interconnected, globalised world." Civil security research at DLR focuses on developing solutions and technologies that protect citizens and critical infrastructure.

Mapping, resilience study and localising emergency responders

During the exercise, DLR's Earth Observation Center will work with the DLR Institute of Space Research to test how artificial intelligence can be combined with remote sensing data. The aim is to rapidly map buildings and infrastructure, drawing on the long-standing expertise of DLR's Center for Satellite-Based Crisis Information (ZKI). This will enable emergency responders to assess, for example, whether hospitals or other facilities are still accessible. The researchers will also combine data from various exercise participants with additional geodata, producing exactly the information needed for specific situations. A survey on the use of the data will complete the exercise.

The DLR Institute for the Protection of Terrestrial Infrastructures will be examining how the resilience of actors changes during an emergency crisis, especially highlighting aspects of critical communication and cooperation. What level of capacities remain after days of working in and with disasters? How can an appropriate response be ensured under adverse conditions? Participants' self-assessments will relate to particular features of the exercise, and ultimately, the aim is to determine the resilience of organisations and identify how this is influenced by specific factors.

The DLR Institute of Communications and Navigation will be testing its DLR NavShoe. The small, lightweight measuring device is attached to footwear and supports the location of emergency services personnel. Until now, the DLR NavShoe has mainly been tested in indoor environments. The device transmits position and movement data, whilst sensors also record acceleration and rotation rates. In addition to locating individuals, it generates datasets for 3D mapping. During the NATO exercise, DLR researchers aim to determine how the system performs under unknown conditions, such as unusual walking routes or uneven ground. Additionally, personnel equipped with the DLR NavShoe will wear a satellite-based localisation device on clothing or attached to a helmet.

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