PAS 2011: Industry expects increased Anglo-French UAV collaboration

A future comprising an increased number of UAV programmes through the Anglo-French cooperation agreement has been predicted by BAE Systems military air and information business development director, Peter Anstiss.

Speaking at a pre-Paris Air Show briefing at BAE Systems' Warton site, Anstiss described a 'whole raft of activities going on to develop that relationship' and said the government to government high level working group had met this week.

Describing declining defence procurement budgets in the UK and the rest of Europe, he highlighted a 'growing number of international, new business opportunities' and said such programmes would be important to sustain design, development and engineering skills, particularly in the UAV market.

Anstiss described BAE Systems' teaming agreement with Dassault Aviation for UAS as a form of consolidation and said complementary design and development activities were mirroring those already in place for Tornado and Typhoon aircraft. The companies have named the first UAS they are developing as Telemos.

In addition, he said it was likely that Cassidian and Alenia Aeronautica would be separately 'looking at' forming alliances: 'It's clear that there will be further teaming agreements,' he said.

'Other manned programmes still seem likely but the company strategy has next-generational UCAV unmanned technology at its forefront.

Referring to BAE Systems' own UAV programmes, Anstiss said both Mantis and Taranis aircraft were due to begin flight testing early next year.