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KARLSKOGA, Sweden — Saab AB, Stockholm, expects to sign a development contract with Dassault Aviation, St. Cloud, France, in December or early next year on France’s program for a technology demonstrator for an unmanned combat aerial vehicle, a Saab executive said Aug. 31.
A signing with Saab would mark a big step forward for the French-led program, which has been seeking European partners.
The Swedish company expects to work on the architecture and design of the demonstrator, dubbed Neuron, and has been negotiating for a workshare package that would allow Saab build a large part of the airframe, Mikael Franzén, program director for UAV systems at the Saab Aerosystems division, said Aug. 31. The Swedish company has been negotiating its industrial role in the 300 million euro ($362 million) UCAV program since the companies signed a memorandum of understanding in December 2003, alongside letters of intents signed by the French and Swedish governments.
Neuron represents a “leap in unmanned aerial technology and aeronautics,” said Lennart Sindahl, Saab senior vice president for airborne systems, during am Aug. 30 briefing in Linköping, Sweden. “We are definitely interested in participating on that program,” he said.
The Swedish government will fund the country’s 25 percent contribution to the overall program, Franzén said, effectively underwriting Saab’s participation in Neuron.
Franzén was confident the Swedish government would approve funding for Sweden’s participation in Neuron in the defense bill due to be presented Sept. 17 by the Defense Ministry. The Swedish parliament is due to vote on the budget in December.
Sweden’s defense procurement office has already approved funding for cooperating on the French program, Franzén said.
French Defense Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie announced the launch of the Neuron program at the 45th Paris Airshow in June 2003 and invited other European partners to join the program. Greece has also signed up for Neuron and negotiations are continuing over Athens’ role in the program.
Saab is expecting to contribute its knowledge of autonomous flight, air worthiness and stealth design in UAVs to the Neuron project, Franzén said. The Swedish company completed its first fully autonomous flight of its UAV technology demonstrator, dubbed Sharc, Aug. 25, he said. The drone took off, flew and landed under an autonomous program, he said. The UAV completed three complete flight cycles.
Saab will begin a flight test campaign for its stealth UAV demonstrator, dubbed Filur, in autumn 2005, flying the drone against live radars to demonstrate its low observability characteristics, he said.
Swedish companies Ericsson and Volvo are in discussions with Saab for participation in the Neuron program, with the former possibly supplying onboard computers and the latter a potential supplier for engines.
The program is funded by the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration (FMV) for an undisclosed amount.
Filur stands for Flying Innovative Low-observable Unmanned Research vehicle. The aircraft has a wingspan of 2.5 meters, a length of 2.2 meters and take-off weight of 55 kilos.
Saab has acquired know-how on autonomous flight in UAVs with its Sharc (Swedish Highly Advanced Research Configuration) demonstrator, which was partly funded by the FMV.
Saab also is interested in participating on France’s EuroMALE UAV program, Franzén said but the company is waiting for details of the industrial workshares on the program, which was announced at the Eurosatory land systems show June 14 by the defense minister, “A year from now, hopefully we’ll have an announcement,” he said.
EADS is prime contractor on the EuroMALE program, which will deliver a demonstrator for a medium altitude, long endurance drone in 2008.
http://www.isrjournal.com/story.php?F=332235
A signing with Saab would mark a big step forward for the French-led program, which has been seeking European partners.
The Swedish company expects to work on the architecture and design of the demonstrator, dubbed Neuron, and has been negotiating for a workshare package that would allow Saab build a large part of the airframe, Mikael Franzén, program director for UAV systems at the Saab Aerosystems division, said Aug. 31. The Swedish company has been negotiating its industrial role in the 300 million euro ($362 million) UCAV program since the companies signed a memorandum of understanding in December 2003, alongside letters of intents signed by the French and Swedish governments.
Neuron represents a “leap in unmanned aerial technology and aeronautics,” said Lennart Sindahl, Saab senior vice president for airborne systems, during am Aug. 30 briefing in Linköping, Sweden. “We are definitely interested in participating on that program,” he said.
The Swedish government will fund the country’s 25 percent contribution to the overall program, Franzén said, effectively underwriting Saab’s participation in Neuron.
Franzén was confident the Swedish government would approve funding for Sweden’s participation in Neuron in the defense bill due to be presented Sept. 17 by the Defense Ministry. The Swedish parliament is due to vote on the budget in December.
Sweden’s defense procurement office has already approved funding for cooperating on the French program, Franzén said.
French Defense Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie announced the launch of the Neuron program at the 45th Paris Airshow in June 2003 and invited other European partners to join the program. Greece has also signed up for Neuron and negotiations are continuing over Athens’ role in the program.
Saab is expecting to contribute its knowledge of autonomous flight, air worthiness and stealth design in UAVs to the Neuron project, Franzén said. The Swedish company completed its first fully autonomous flight of its UAV technology demonstrator, dubbed Sharc, Aug. 25, he said. The drone took off, flew and landed under an autonomous program, he said. The UAV completed three complete flight cycles.
Saab will begin a flight test campaign for its stealth UAV demonstrator, dubbed Filur, in autumn 2005, flying the drone against live radars to demonstrate its low observability characteristics, he said.
Swedish companies Ericsson and Volvo are in discussions with Saab for participation in the Neuron program, with the former possibly supplying onboard computers and the latter a potential supplier for engines.
The program is funded by the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration (FMV) for an undisclosed amount.
Filur stands for Flying Innovative Low-observable Unmanned Research vehicle. The aircraft has a wingspan of 2.5 meters, a length of 2.2 meters and take-off weight of 55 kilos.
Saab has acquired know-how on autonomous flight in UAVs with its Sharc (Swedish Highly Advanced Research Configuration) demonstrator, which was partly funded by the FMV.
Saab also is interested in participating on France’s EuroMALE UAV program, Franzén said but the company is waiting for details of the industrial workshares on the program, which was announced at the Eurosatory land systems show June 14 by the defense minister, “A year from now, hopefully we’ll have an announcement,” he said.
EADS is prime contractor on the EuroMALE program, which will deliver a demonstrator for a medium altitude, long endurance drone in 2008.
http://www.isrjournal.com/story.php?F=332235