Defence

By Peter La Franchi at Farnborough air show

Dassault is proposing using the Neuron unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) programme as the basis for a common European medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UAV development effort to replace the former Euromale project. The industrial partnership would effectively take on a dual development role, continuing to progress the Neuron UCAV with technology flow-on to the MALE project.

Yves Robins, Dassault vice-president international, says: "Neuron would be an excellent industrial structure on which to launch a European MALE." But he cautions that "what will dictate the shape of any programme in the future will be the commitments of the [partner nation] ministries of defence".

The Dassault push comes as European governments continue to discuss options to meet a common requirement for MALE systems, with EADS having now largely ceased work on the Euromale. EADS and Dassault reached agreement two years ago to divide UCAV and MALE UAV development between them. Three-way government-to-government discussions between France, Germany and Spain form the main focus of any potential new programme, with derivatives of the EADS Barracuda high-speed reconnaissance UAV central to those talks.