Speaking at Dassault’s annual press conference yesterday, CEO Charles Edelstenne clarified that BAE Systems would be the prime contractor for a joint medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aircraft program under the recently announced memorandum of understanding between the two companies. The MoU follows last November’s Anglo-French inter-governmental agreement.
Should the UK and France give a formal go-ahead, Dassault and BAE estimate the development would cost a total of €1 billion (about $1.3 billion), to be shared equally. BAE would provide its Mantis MALE platform, which first flew last year, while Dassault would be in charge of systems. Thales, which was working with Dassault on its previous IAI Heron-based MALE proposals to the French government, could become a partner after the program gets the green light. BAE Systems and Dassault have already completed a joint MALE study for the two governments.
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