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European UAV/UCAV Development Plans
Expanding
European interest in unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAVs) is growing, along with industry concern that Europe has fallen far behind the United States. Late in June, BAE Systems CEO Mike Turner called for more European cooperation in UAVs and UCAVs.
Last month, too, Dassault and EADS announced plans for more cooperation on unmanned aircraft, including the start of two demonstration programs.
Neuron, led by Dassault, is aimed at flying a prototype of a stealthy UCAV by 2009, and conducting an end-to-end demonstration including the release of a guided weapon. As well as EADS, partners include Saab and Hellenic Aerospace Industries, which had earlier agreed to join Dassault's program. Neuron will build on Dassault's own Logiduc program, whose configuration resembles the AVE-C, a small flight demonstrator flown earlier this year. EADS will develop the ground control system and develop the vehicle's composite wing.
EuroMALE (medium-altitude, long-endurance) will be led by EADS as prime contractor. Dassault will be responsible for development of the air vehicle; Thales will provide the control system, and Sagem will develop the datalink and optronic systems.
In the UK, the Ministry of Defence is close to selecting a contractor for full-scale development of Watchkeeper, a wide-ranging system including both tactical and long-endurance UAVs. Two teams are in contention. Thales is working with Logica, Boeing, Marshall SV and Elbit, with a system based on the Elbit/Silver Arrow Hermes 180 and Hermes 450 air vehicles.
Northrop Grumman is teamed with BAE Systems, RUAG of Switzerland and General Dynamics UK. The low-end UAV in this system is RUAG's Ranger (based on Israeli technology) and the high end is Northrop Grumman's RQ-8B Fire Scout helicopter.
U.S. companies see more potential in the European market, beyond these programs. General Atomics-Aeronautical Systems Inc has delivered Predators to Italy, and CEO Tom Cassidy reports German and UK interest in the turbine-powered, very-long-endurance Predator B and Mariner. Cassidy also expects "a major competition" in Turkey, which has used GA-ASI's I-Gnat for some nine years.
Northrop Grumman director for international UAV business development Bob Smith reports strong interest in the Fire Scout from the German, Spanish and French navies, all of them interested in the system's ability to provide over-the-horizon, long-endurance surveillance and targeting for small ships. Smith says that the "vastly improved" performance of the RQ-8B—developed at the U.S. Navy's suggestion, with a four-blade rotor—has pushed interest forward. Sea trials are due in September on the USS Swift, the U.S. Navy's high-speed catamaran research ship.
Apart from the UK's Watchkeeper project, land forces are showing more interest in Fire Scout—although the vehicle is bigger than most tactical UAVs, it does not require a catapult or recovery system and does not burn gasoline.
At the other end of the market, Northrop Grumman is "checking our mailbox for the RFP" (request for proposals) from Germany for the next stage of the EuroHawk program. Smith hopes that Northrop Grumman will have a contract by the end of the year for a single EuroHawk prototype, a modified Global Hawk with an EADS-developed signals intelligence payload. Up to five more SIGINT EuroHawks could be followed by up to five image-intelligence aircraft, Smith believes.
Northrop Grumman may also announce this week its choice of a partner and air vehicle for the U.S. Army's Extended Range/Multi-Purpose (ER/MP) program. Intended to replace the RQ-5A Hunter, ER/MP will use an existing air vehicle and will feed live video and radar imagery to rear-area commanders.
—Bill Sweetman
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