PETER LA FRANCHI / PARIS
Programme calls for VTOL craft on frigates by 2010 and fielding of naval unmanned combat air vehicle from 2020
The French navy wants to deploy a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) tactical unmanned air vehicle (VTUAV) aboard its frigates by 2010 and operate an extended-range UAV system, possibly a fixed-wing type, from its aircraft carriers by 2012.
Longer-term plans call for the fielding of a naval unmanned combat air vehicle from 2020, with phased development beginning around 2010.
According to Dr Rene Mathurin, UAV programmes officer with the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA), the VTUAV requirement - designated DMT - and the extended-range maritime system - designated DELE - are being co-ordinated as subsets of the Sydronav federate programme.
Speaking at the European Unmanned Vehicles Society UAV 2003 conference in Paris last month, Mathurin said Sydronav also includes development of an automatic maritime UAV landing system, and the conduct of shipboard integration studies for both classes of air vehicle. An open competition for the automatic UAV landing system will be launched later this year. No additional details on the naval UCAV requirement were released.
The DMT VTUAV programme is already the subject of a research and technology evaluation effort launched in 2002 and running until 2005. The initial phase will assess capability options. A development programme would start in 2006 with this including system acquisition. Service entry will begin in 2009-10.
The DMT research and technology phase will use the Hetel-M UAV demonstrator developed by ECT Industries. That system is not intended to proceed to production at this stage, however. Hetel made its first tethered flight late in 2002 and is expected to make its first autonomous flight, excluding take-off and landing, before the end of this year.
Preliminary DMT capability requirements call for the production VTUAV to be able to remain on station for 4h at a range of 200km (110nm) with a combined infrared and electro-optical payload of up to 150kg (330lb).
Tenders for the research and technology phase for the DELE maritime extended-range UAV were released in February and closed on 11 June. Dassault/Sagem and EADS are understood to have submitted proposals.
Mathurin said plans call for a study contract award "at the end of 2003. It is a 40-month development, and after 2006 there is operational testing. [Then] we will launch an acquisition programme."
Norway has announced plans to either lease or buy a tactical UAV demonstrator system as early as this month to allow operational trials by its army and navy during 2004 and early 2005. This would be followed by a competition for a fleet acquisition in early 2006. Norwegian programme officials say the second stage of the project has an indicative budget of €3.3 million ($3.8 million).Source: Flight International
