Signatures clear the way for Eurodrone production
German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht has described the four-nation Eurodrone programme as a model example of cross-border defence equipment procurement. (Photo: German MoD)
A development and manufacturing deal is imminent between OCCAR and Airbus for Eurodrone ISTAR UASs.
All four partner countries in the Eurodrone project have signed the second implementation agreement (IA2) to continue development of the MALE UAS with the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR), after lead nation Germany put pen to paper on 3 February.
This follows approval from France, Italy and (in late January) Spain.
‘The joint project with France, Italy and Spain is a good example of the fact that we always have European solutions in mind when it comes to armament issues,’ German Minister of Defence Christine Lambrecht remarked in a 4 February statement.
IA2 includes arrangements for the development and manufacturing phase of 20 Eurodrone systems, including initial flight operations.
Germany will order seven, followed by Italy with five, while France and Spain agreed to buy four apiece.
IA2 empowers OCCAR to sign a deal with prime contractor Airbus Defence and Space on behalf of the partner nations. The German MoD expects this ‘in the near future’.
Each system includes three aircraft which are designed for ISTAR missions and set to be equipped with SAR, EO/IR and tactical SIGINT payloads.
The German MoD stated that it expects delivery of the first aircraft in 2029.
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