EADS has negotiated ownership of all intellectual property rights to the Euromale airframe from Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) in a deal agreed earlier this year.
The deal is to be phased in over the next two years with IAI retaining an initial role as co-builder of the Block 0 demonstrator airframe alongside EADS. However, EADS will take control of all intellectual property for the airframe from 2007 with IAI then having no further role on the platform.
EADS describe the deal as an evolution of existing arrangements with IAI, with the objective of allowing unfettered capability to modify the Euromale airframe to meet emerging requirements. The new role is being paralleled by transfer of management of the airframe aspects of the project from EADS Defence and Security Systems in France to EADS Military Aircraft in Germany.
All command, control, communication and mission systems for the Euromale system will be supplied by European contractors. The only non-European subsystem will be the turboprop engine, expected to be supplied by Pratt & Whitney Canada.
The Euromale Block 0 demonstrator is based on the IAI-EADS Eagle 1 UAV developed to meet French air force requirements for an interim MALE surveillance capability, but is significantly scaled up in size and performance terms.
The 26m (85ft) wingspan Euromale platform will be able to carry a 450kg (990lb) payload at 45,000ft (13,750m), and remain on station for 12h at a range of 800nm (1,500km) from its base.
EADS plans to fully industrialise the Block 0 demonstrator with the objective of positioning the system for immediate production following the completion of the Phase 1 demonstration.
"The industrialisation of the demonstrator will constitute the first real operational standard of Euromale…It will be industrialised in order to offer to customers this capability in the year 2009," it says.
The Block 0 Euromale sensor suite will comprise infra-red and electro-optical cameras, laser designator, synthetic aperture radar, a basic electronic support measure suite, a personnel locator beacon detection system, and an air-to-air sense and avoid system for air traffic integration.
EADS recently demonstrated the ability to perform laser designation of a target via satellite using the IAI-EADS Eagle 1 UAV, meaning that the illuminated target's ground co-ordinates can be fed from the UAV to an engagement system via asatellite link.
The full series-production sensor suite will add options for maritime surveillance radar, ELINT, additional communications payloads, and specific national air traffic management systems.
PETER LA FRANCHI/PARIS
Source: Flight International
