Dassault and IAI to deliver new MALE system to French MoD
During the July 20 meeting of the Ministerial Investment Committee, Gerard Longuet, Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs, decided to open negotiations with Dassault Aviation for the delivery of a new MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) UAV to the French military in 2014.
This acquisition will replace the UAV system currently operated by French forces, pending the service introduction in 2020 of a new generation of unmanned aircraft developed within the framework of the Anglo-French cooperation agreement of November 2010.
Dassault Aviation, in cooperation with the Israeli company IAI, is offering a modified and evolved version of the Heron TP airframe. The development of the F-Heron TP will involve, in addition to Dassault Aviation, several French companies through value-added activities, which will generate jobs and incoming transfers of know-how.
The involvement of these companies will allow us to begin creating an industrial structure in preparation of the future of Franco-British MALE UAVs.
Drones, or remotely-piloted aircraft, have become an essential capacity for any defense organisation. Their endurance ensures the continued monitoring of operational theaters without any risk to human life. Their broad range of missions allows the collection of all kinds if intelligence, and the targeting of objectives. Their communication system shortens the decision-making loops, and their stealth design reduces their vulnerability.
They fit perfectly into the mission of knowledge and anticipation, defined by the Defence White Paper as one of the five strategic functions which it is essential for defense and security forces to master.
Source: French MoD
More from Uncrewed Vehicles
-
![Cummings Aerospace showcases Hellhound loitering munition designed for US Army’s LASSO programme (video)]()
Cummings Aerospace showcases Hellhound loitering munition designed for US Army’s LASSO programme (video)
Cummings Aerospace presented its turbojet-powered Hellhound loitering munition at SOF Week 2025, offering a man-portable solution aligned with the US Army’s LASSO requirements.
-
![SOF Week 2025: PDW unveils attritable FPV drone for SOF operations at scale]()
SOF Week 2025: PDW unveils attritable FPV drone for SOF operations at scale
PDW has revealed its Attritable Multirotor First Person View drone at SOF Week 2025, offering special operations forces a low-cost, rapidly deployable platform for strike and ISR missions, inspired by battlefield lessons from Ukraine.
-
![SOF Week 2025: Teledyne FLIR white paper provides guidance on reusable loitering munitions]()
SOF Week 2025: Teledyne FLIR white paper provides guidance on reusable loitering munitions
Teledyne FLIR is highlighting the emerging requirements for 'recoverable and re-usable' loitering munitions across the contemporary operating environment during this week’s SOF Week conference in Tampa, Florida.
-
![SOF Week 2025: Kraken Technology group debuts K3 Scout USV in North America]()
SOF Week 2025: Kraken Technology group debuts K3 Scout USV in North America
High-performance maritime industry player Kraken Technology Group, based in the UK, has used the SOF Week conference in Tampa, Florida this week to debut its K3 Scout uncrewed surface vessel (USV) to the North American market.
-
![Palladyne AI and Red Cat to demonstrate capabilities for autonomous drone swarms to the US military]()
Palladyne AI and Red Cat to demonstrate capabilities for autonomous drone swarms to the US military
Red Cat and Palladyne AI recently conducted a cross-platform collaborative flight involving three diverse heterogeneous drones.
-
![Jammer resistant drone designs spark search for countermeasures]()
Jammer resistant drone designs spark search for countermeasures
The Russia-Ukraine conflict has driven another stage of evolution for drones and the counter measures to defend against them.
