STEWART PENNEY / LONDON
A future air combat systems memorandum of understanding signed by Europe's six leading aerospace nations has committed the signatories to three technology demonstration programmes (TDPs), and potentially flying demonstrators.
The work, which involves France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the UK, is due to start next month with a study considering defence capabilities requirements up to 2020, and the systems and technology required.
An initial report is scheduled to be issued in the third quarter of next year. The agreement builds on a five-year relationship between France and the UK on future air combat systems.
The six governments will call on industry to work with them to invest in TDPs and develop "innovative and co-operative solutions". Each country has an industrial partner - Alenia Aerospazio, BAE Systems, Dassault, EADS Casa, EADS Germany and Saab.
The third string to the programme is the European Technology Acquisition Programme (ETAP) which will be a "broadly based technology programme". Its aim is to develop Europe's capabilities in control, command, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I); conventional air-launched cruise missiles; manned and unmanned aircraft (UAVs) and combat UAVs.
Each TDP will be run by two or more countries, and the results made available to other signatories to allow them to decide whether or not to join the programmes.
Three TDPs - secure, robust and wide-bandwidth datalinks; high speed data processing; and safe-operation command and control of UAVs - start immediately. Although there is a push to build flying demonstrators, ETAP and the other initiatives will not lead to a single product in 2020.
Some nations have expressed concern about the UK's participation in TDPs involving stealth claiming a conflict of interest due to its access to US know how in programmes like the Joint Strike Fighter.
A Ministry of Defence source says the UK expects to participate in TDPs in this area, but JSFand ETAP work "will be kept separate".
Source: Flight International
