Europe Reaches a Crossroad in Male UAV Development

This model of an armed Mantis Male UAV was on show in the BAE Systems pavilion at the recent Farnborough airshow. (Photo: Chris Pocock)

July 20, 2012, 3:46 PM

European governments have reached a crossroad in the potential development of next-generation unmanned aerial systems that could challenge current Israeli and U.S. leadership in this field. The British and French defense ministers will meet in London on Tuesday, July 24, to assess the Anglo-French Defence Agreement. They are expected to award contracts to BAE Systems and Dassault for the bilateral pre-development of an unmanned Future Combat Air System (FCAS) and a medium-altitude long-endurance (Male) UAV named Telemos and based on BAE Systems’ Mantis.

But prospects of a Male agreement have been clouded by French defense minister Jean-Yves Le Drian’s stated preference for a multilateral European development that also involves Germany and Italy. Moreover, the requirement for a new Male design to equip European air forces appears to be receding, as the French and German air arms ponder whether to upgrade their interim systems based on the IAI Heron, or even acquire GA-ASI Reapers from the U.S. The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Italian Air Force have already acquired armed Reapers for service in Afghanistan.

Read More..................