LE BOURGET, France, June 16 (AFP) – 16:05 GMT – France has decided to launch a prototype combat drone program and chosen French firm Dassault Aviation as the key contractor on the project, Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie told AFP Monday.
The project to build protoype combat drones, or Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs), will also include other companies in the sector, in particular French electronics group Thales, Alliot-Marie said.
The announcement came on the first day of the 45th edition of the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget airport limited to trade visitors.
The biennial show is a source of pride for the French government. Of all the world’s air shows it is the biggest, generating the most revenues at a single time.
The French defence minister said the prototype program would allow the mastering of new pilotless plane technology.
“It will contribute to the maintenance of key competencies and technologies necessary to launch future combat aircraft programs — piloted or not — in Europe after 2020.”
The UCAV program will be conducted under the framework of an innovative partnership between the state and industry, she added.
http://www.defense-aerospace.com/afp/defense/030616160559.pzoyyi74.html
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June 17, 2003 at 11:18 am