Defence Firms Join Forces for Next Generation European UAV Surveillance System

Dassault Aviation, Today at Le Bourget Air Show in Paris, Alenia Aeronautica, Dassault Aviation and Saab AB have signed a Letter Of Intent to expand and intensify their cooperation to the MALE UAV System (Medium Altitude Long Endurance Unmanned Air Vehicle). 
 
This strategic cooperation addresses the trend of increased UAV use in defence, civil and commercial applications, and especially on the growing market demand for the MALE UAV systems solutions. 
 
“With the success of the nEUROn cooperation and our overall history and proven track record of aerospace achievements, we recognise our companies as the apparent team to provide a European MALE UAV System meeting the current and future European needs”, said the CEOs of Alenia Aeronautica, Dassault Aviation and Saab AB. 
 
Alenia Aeronautica, as Project Leader, together with the two partner companies, proposes to conduct a government-funded study in the field of MALE UAV System. The three companies will share the capabilities and technologies already developed for the nEUROn Programme – the next generation technological demonstrator for a European Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle, UCAV – and transfer them to the new MALE UAV System. This system will benefit from developed and demonstrated technologies as well as from the tools used in the nEUROn Programme. Moreover, the organisation and partnership model of the nEUROn programme will form the basis of the new programme. 
 
The study will define the preliminary characteristics, development and production of a European next generation MALE UAV System, capable to meet the emerging European and worldwide requirements. The three companies initiating this new MALE UAV System programme wish to gain the support from their National Authorities. 
 
“The new MALE UAV system development is open to others, and discussions are going on with European partners. It is highly strategic in order to maintain the capabilities and competitiveness of the European industry both in terms of technological spin-off to the overall aerospace sector and in terms of workload including electronic defence, sensors and communications”, concluded the CEOs of the three partners companies.