ANDREW DOYLE / SINGAPORE
Meanwhile, country has delayed release of fighter request for proposals until 2003
EADS and the Singapore defence ministry are discussing possible collaboration on studies of high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) as Singapore ponders how to develop its indigenous Lalee UAV.
Meanwhile, Singapore has delayed release of its fighter aircraft request for proposals (RFP) to the first quarter of 2003. Industry had been expecting the RFP by year-end.
EADS is working on the Euro Hawk, a European version of the Northrop Grumman Global Hawk, initially to meet a German navy requirement for an electronic intelligence platform to replace Dassault Atlantics. It also sees a UAV such as Euro Hawk playing a role in NATO's airborne ground surveillance (AGS) system.
Singapore developing the Lalee long-endurance UAV as a potential replacement for the air force's four Northrop Grumman E-2C Hawkeyes from 2008. Earlier this year the defence ministry held talks with EADS to discuss integrating the European stand-off surveillance target acquisition radar (SOSTAR) with the Lalee (Flight International, 9-15 July). SOSTAR is being developed as part of the AGS programme.
Industry sources say the talks have been broadened to determine whether Singapore's UAV requirement could be met with a collaborative programme.
Euro Hawk is the only platform EADS is considering for its HALE UAV system studies. But the manufacturer is open to the idea of co-operating with outside partners, particularly in the areas of sensors, data transmission, processing, datalinks and control stations. "A partner would have to bring a level of technical capability," says one source. EADS and the Singapore ministry of defence decline to comment.
Northrop Grumman and the US government are not offering Global Hawk in Singapore as it has not had export approval.
Singapore, meanwhile, is expected to narrow the field of fighter candidates before issuing the RFP. Last year's request for information covered the Boeing F-15 and F/A-18E/F, Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, Lockheed Martin F-16 and Sukhoi Su-35.
Source: Flight International
