Anglo-French Male UAV Progress Stalls
Thales' turbulent Watchkeeper program is behind schedule, but is receiving noteworthy attention from French military visitors at the Farnborough Airshow.
Thales' turbulent Watchkeeper program is behind schedule, but is receiving noteworthy attention from French military visitors at the Farnborough Airshow.

Anglo-French cooperation on MALE UAVs may have stalled, according to reports from Paris and from informed sources AIN spoke to at the Farnborough International airshow yesterday. However, it appears that that the proposed joint UCAV study will still be sanctioned when French defense minister Jean-Yves Le Drian visits London on July 24. Meanwhile, some progress can be reported on the recently troubled Thales Watchkeeper, which was the third (and least visible) UAV program discussed at the last Anglo-French defense summit in February.