A few days ago, French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced the launch of the development of an unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) from Dassault Aviation which will complement the future Rafale F5 standard after 2030. The announcement was made during a ceremony to mark the 60th anniversary of the French Strategic Air Forces (FAS) at Saint-Dizier airbase.
“This stealth combat drone will contribute to the technological and operational superiority of the French Air Force by 2033. It is significant that the project is being launched today, on the 60th anniversary of the Strategic Air Forces and the 90th anniversary of the Aerospace Forces: In aviation – a highly complex field – the future is deeply rooted and innovation is built on experience,” said Éric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation. “Dassault Aviation and its partners are proud to serve the French Armed Forces and the French Procurement Agency (DGA). Their renewed confidence honors and commits us.” https://militaeraktuell.at/miliz-trifft-wirtschaft-bei-gdels-steyr-wien/ According to the FAS and Dassault’s vision, this UAV will complement the Rafale and be suitable for joint combat. The combat drone is to be equipped with stealth technologies, autonomous control (with man-in-the-loop), internal payload capacity and other features. It will also be able to be further developed in line with future threats. In combination with the Rafale F5, it is intended to “ensure France’s independence and superiority in terms of capabilities in the coming decades”, according to a Dassault press release. According to the press release, the unmanned combat drone will also benefit from the nEUROn program. This program, initiated in 2003, brought together the aeronautical resources of six European countries under the project leadership of Dassault Aviation. To date, more than 170 test flights of Europe’s first stealth UCAV demonstrator have been carried out.
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