Sign-up to receive weekly Defense email updates with news, commentary, photos, videos and more!
Focusing on the critical interplay of programs, policy, funding and operations to provide integrated intelligence and global perspective to defense and government leaders worldwide.
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report is relied upon for the latest, critical intelligence on programs, budgets and policies in defense, as well as military and civil space.
Unmanned Horizons is a dedicated section of AviationWeek.com's defense coverage of unmanned systems.
Access news, blog posts, videos, photos and other exclusive unmanned systems-related defense content.
Aviation Week is proud to announce its new Innovation Special Topic page supported by Booz Allen Hamilton.
Check out articles, white papers, interactive features and more related to aviation, aerospace and defense innovation.
With France's new defense strategy due out next month, and a new multiyear spending plan expected by March, French lawmakers are favoring a purchase of U.S. MQ-9 Reapers in support of the military's short-term requirement for Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) drones. Such a move, they say, could save money while offering an opportunity to develop a European variant of the General Atomics-built unmanned aerial system (UAS). “Discussions are underway with General Atomics to build these American drones with European sensors and armaments,” members of France's European affairs committee said in an interim report on European defense posture released in December. “Reapers are American and less expensive than European programs." Given that the system is in service with U.K. and Italy, with Germany and Poland also considering Reaper buys, "the favored scenario is to start with a Europeanization of equipment, then gradually the drone itself.”
“Discussions are underway with General Atomics to build these American drones with European sensors and armaments,” members of France's European affairs committee said in an interim report on European defense posture released in December. “Reapers are American and less expensive than European programs."
Given that the system is in service with U.K. and Italy, with Germany and Poland also considering Reaper buys, "the favored scenario is to start with a Europeanization of equipment, then gradually the drone itself.”
Tags: ar99, MQ-9 Reaper, Predator B, Livre Blanc