Anglo-French UAV partnership expected to move forward by the end of the year
BAE Systems believes that the highly-anticipated contract with Dassault Aviation for a new MALE UAV system will be the 'cornerstone' in Anglo-French relations in this market.
The UK and French MoDs are expected to provide an 'overall requirements document this year', according to David Kershaw, strategy and business development director for BAE's information platforms and services division, speaking to Shephard at the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford on 15 June.
An MoU was signed between the companies for the Telemos programme in February and is expected to result in a UAV with a 36 hour endurance and cruise speed of 300kts.
By working together, the UK and France aim to share costs and therefore lower through-life costs, and build on relations between the countries.
Further to the Telemos programme there is potential for the companies to work on a combat UAV, and the 'advantage of this MALE system is that it could be a good pipe cleaner in that context', according to Kershaw.
Speaking of the current state of the UAV market at present, Kershaw added that homeland security, for both large and small UAS, is being looked at but that the opening of airspace needs to be invested in.
Because of the cancellation of the Nimrod as outlined in the UK's Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), Kershaw said that there will be a capability gap that will need to be filled, and UAVs are capable of filling it.
Speaking about the advantages of larger tactical unmanned platforms, Kershaw said that in order to be strategically focused these systems are necessary and provided capabilities that could not be provided by smaller systems.
'The laws of physics say there are limits to what you can do with a smaller system,' he explained.
More from Uncrewed Vehicles
-
Reamda upgrades Grasshopper UGV observation mast
Reamda, an Irish engineering company with a focus on UGVs and defence applications, delivered its Riddler platformed to the Irish Defence Forces last year.
-
Roke unveils new CUAS solution
The Roke Agile CUAS has been designed to provide protection for military and civilian situations, as well as to handle swarms of UAS by using a range of sensors.
-
Russia reaches new monthly record for Lancet use in Ukraine
The aggressor’s armed forces have adapted Lancet to Ukrainian conditions via iterative developments accompanied by a significant expansion in production capacity
-
India’s pursuit of UAVs fuels domestic innovation and industrial growth
In response to escalating border tensions and the need for enhanced surveillance capabilities, the Indian Army is ramping up its drone acquisitions, reflecting the growing importance of unmanned systems in modern defence strategies.
-
Australia to adopt new predatory OWL species
The Australian Defence Force will introduce the One-Way Loitering (OWL) platform by Innovaero, the country’s first long-range loitering munition, to enhance strike capabilities and understanding of loitering munitions.
-
Dedrone’s latest uncrewed solutions offers “complete CUAS DTI-M kill chain”
DedroneOnTheMove, which integrates advanced sensor-fusion and mitigation technologies, was showcased at Eurosatory 2024 and has been designed for deployment to enhance airspace security in high-risk environments.