SAINT-CLOUD, France, 2 July 2007. Alenia Aeronautica, Dassault Aviation, and Saab AB have signed a letter of intent to expand and intensify their cooperation to the MALE (medium altitude long endurance) unmanned air vehicle (UAV) system. This cooperation addresses the trend of increased UAV use in defense, civil, and commercial applications, and especially on the growing market demand for the MALE UAV systems solutions.
Alenia Aeronautica, as project leader, together with the two partner companies, proposes to conduct a government-funded study in the field of MALE UAV System. The three companies will share the capabilities and technologies already developed for the nEUROn Program -- the next-generation technological demonstrator for a European unmanned combat aerial vehicle, UCAV -- and transfer them to the new MALE UAV System.
The study will define the preliminary characteristics, development, and production of a European next-generation MALE UAV System.
According to the CEOs of the three partner companies, the new MALE UAV system development is open to others, and discussions are going on with European partners. It is highly strategic in order to maintain the capabilities and competitiveness of the European industry both in terms of technological spin-off to the overall aerospace sector and in terms of workload including electronic defense, sensors, and communications, they say.
