If 2021 was a year of recovery for aeronautics and space manufacturers at the European level, 2022 also marks a renewal in the defense sector. Germany, France, Italy and Spain have announced that they have signed a 7.1 billion euro contract to develop the Eurodrone program. The European drone should allow Europe to catch up in the field of remotely piloted flying machines, succeeding the American Reaper or the Israeli Heron, currently used in the four countries. It should be pointed out that the contract was signed the same day as the start of the Russian offensive against Ukraine, but France and Europe will not be able to benefit from this new equipment for seven years.

The Eurodrone program contract

The Eurodrone program will deploy an operationally unconstrained Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV capability to provide European countries with a sovereign capability for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, target identification and support to ground forces in a variety of operations and assaults.

The contract, signed on Thursday, February 24, was initially expected at the end of 2019 but has been delayed due to complex negotiations between manufacturers and states, particularly regarding pricing. The project had begun in 2015 after the failure of other European programs to bring about the emergence of a MALE UAV industry.

Airbus Defence and Space GmbH (Airbus Germany) is the main player in this program, which the company is developing with its major partners Airbus Defence and Space SAU (Airbus Spain), Dassault Aviation, and the Italian manufacturer Leonardo. The Eurodrone program includes the development, production and support of 20 systems. A system is a set of three UAVs and two ground stations. This project therefore provides for the delivery of sixty UAVs and their maintenance for five years.

In France, the Ministry of the Army has ordered four systems (twelve Eurodrones) and plans to acquire six systems in total. These new UAVs will gradually replace the current Reaper UAVs in the French Air and Space Army, which will be replaced after 2030. Spain has also ordered four systems, Italy has ordered five, and seven are planned for Germany. The drones ordered also differ from country to country: Germany wanted a twin-engine drone, while France wanted only one in order to have a lighter and less expensive aircraft, while being armed.

The first flight of the Eurodrone is scheduled for 2026 and the first deliveries will arrive in 2028.

A powerful asset for Europe

The European Union is providing €100 million in funding for the program through the European Defence Industrial Development Program (EDIDP). The launch of Eurodrone is a key step in consolidating European cooperation and an important opportunity for jobs, Mike Schoellhorn, president of Airbus Defense and Space, said in a statement « This program will create the most advanced UAV system in its class, generate more than 7,000 highly skilled jobs, and strengthen European industry’s sovereignty, know-how and cooperation between states”. In France, it will create or maintain approximately 2,000 direct and indirect jobs during development and production, in major defense companies and their subcontracting chain.

In addition to strengthening European strategic autonomy, the four countries involved in the program are supporting the competitiveness of the European defense industrial and technological base. Éric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation, said: « This contract demonstrates the determination of European nations and their industrial partners to meet the political objectives and technological challenges that will ensure European defense sovereignty”.

The arrival of the Eurodrone also presents opportunities for contracts with the main engine manufacturers. Airbus still has to decide which one to choose, between the French manufacturer Safran, the Italian Avio Aero or the American General Electric.

Technologically, the Eurodrone program will benefit from all the innovations in military aviation. These future European UAVs will be able to meet the operational needs of the armed forces thanks to their high performance: more than 30 hours of endurance, new European sensors and a high level of connectivity with other aircraft and operational agents. In addition, these UAVs will be able to fly without any particular limitation in European airspace and will guarantee real freedom in the use of the system and its evolutions. They will be designed in such a way that it will be possible to integrate new innovations and add new payloads throughout their operational life.