France and Britain on Thursday inked a deal to invest more than two billion euros in the development of combat drones and will include BAE Systems and Dassault Aviation
Following a two-year feasibility study begun in 2014, "we hope to proceed to the next phase in 2017 to prepare for the full-fledged development of operational demonstrators of air combat drones by 2025," AFP quoted the French government as saying in a statement.
"This test programme, the most advanced in Europe, will be based on a platform of multi-purpose drones that could provide the basis for future operational capacity beyond 2030," it said.
"We plan to invest more than two billion euros in this programme," it said, adding that work would be submitted to a technical review around 2020.
The British and French governments tasked BAE Systems and Dassault Aviation with the feasibility study in November 2014.
The ultimate aim is to have combat drones capable of carrying out surveillance and observation missions, identifying targets and launching strikes in enemy territory, according to the British defence ministry.
Such a drone would be tasked with entering hostile territory ahead of standard manned warplanes.
In addition to the two main groups, Rolls-Royce and Safran were assigned to work on propulsion systems while Selex ES and Thales was put in charge of electronics and sensors.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Fracois Hollande will unveil a 1.5 billion pound ($2
The UK Royal Navys advanced submarine, Artful has test fired a torpedo using a £50 million BAE Systems designed Common Combat System (CCS). The CCS is a command and control system which functions as the digital ‘brain of the boat controlling its ‘eyes, ‘ears and ‘nervous system
Indias first of five nuclear submarines, INS Arihant is all set for operations and formal induction in the Navys fleet. The nuclear submarine has cleared all the tests and is said to be technically ready for commissioning at any time, Economic Times news daily reported Tuesday
Navantia Out; Naval Group, Saab and TKMS in $3B Dutch Walrus Replacement...
With No Foreign Patents, 500 Russian Arms Copied Abroad
Wind Tunnel Tests of Sino-Russian CRAIC CR929 Mockup Complete
AM General To Modernize Jordanian Fleet of 200 Humvee Vehicles
Germany To Finalise Order for 38 Eurofighter Jets, 110 E-Scan Radars
Turkish Navy to get First Indigenous Aircraft Carrier in 2020
Bechtel Bags US Navy's $1.4Bn Naval Nuclear Propulsion Components Contract
Su-57 Performs 16 Flights with New, Powerful Engine
Several joint production and direct procurement programs could be halted if the US and Europe carry through with their threat...
Sanctions-hit Iran has found ingenious ways to develop military hardware
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly permeating the defence industry to aid and improve human decision-making
Upgrade of Russias Sukhoi Su-30SM fighters to equip them with armaments, radar, sensors and engines from the more powerful Su-35...
US companies sanctioned by China for supplying weapons to Taiwan may be denied rare earth elements (REEs), which have critical...
While the US F-35 stealth aircraft has become one the fastest selling fighter jets in the world aircraft market, thanks...