Dassault Aviation: Unmanned combat aerial vehicle program kicks off as part of the Rafale F5 standard
October 08 2024 - 9:25AM
Unmanned combat aerial vehicle program
kicks offas part of the Rafale F5
standard
Saint-Cloud, October 8, 2024 –
On this day, Sébastien Lecornu, French Minister of the Armed Forces
and Veterans Affairs, announced the development launch of the
unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) that will complement the
future Rafale F5 standard after 2030.
The announcement was made at a ceremony marking
the 60th anniversary of the French Strategic Air Forces (FAS) at
the Saint-Dizier air base, in the presence of General Jérôme
Bellanger, Chief of Staff of the French Air and Space Force (AAE),
and Éric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation.
“This stealth combat drone will contribute to
the technological and operational superiority of the French Air
Force by 2033. It is significant that it is being initiated today,
as we mark the 60th anniversary of the Strategic Air Forces and the
90th anniversary of the Air and Space Force: in aeronautics — a
highly complex field — the future has deep roots, and innovation is
built on experience. Dassault Aviation and its partners are proud
to serve the French Armed Forces and the French Defense Procurement
Agency (DGA). Their renewed confidence honours and obliges us,”
declared Éric Trappier.
This UAV will be complementary to the Rafale and
suited to collaborative combat. It will incorporate stealth
technologies, autonomous control (with man-in-the-loop), internal
payload capacity, and more. It will be highly versatile and
designed to evolve in line with future threats.
It will benefit from the achievements of the
nEUROn* program, Europe’s first stealth UCAV demonstrator.
The Rafale F5 combined with the UCAV and their
evolutions, like the Mirage IV in its times, will ensure France’s
independence and capability superiority in the coming decades.
* Initiated in 2003, the nEUROn program brought
together the aeronautics resources of six European countries, with
project management by Dassault Aviation. nEUROn completed its
maiden flight in December 2012. More than 170 test flights have
been conducted to date. The nEUROn program has lived up to all its
promises in terms of performance levels, lead times and budget.
* * *
ABOUT DASSAULT AVIATION:
With over 10,000 military and civil aircraft
(including 2,700 Falcons) delivered in more than 90 countries over
the last century, Dassault Aviation has built up expertise
recognized worldwide in the design, development, sale and support
of all types of aircraft, ranging from the Rafale fighter, to the
high-end Falcon family of business jets, military drones and space
systems. In 2023, Dassault Aviation reported revenues of €4.8
billion. The company has 13,500
employees.
dassault-aviation.com
PRESS CONTACTS:
Corporate
Communications Stéphane
Fort - Tel +33 (0)1 47 11 86 90 -
stephane.fort@dassault-aviation.com Mathieu Durand - Tel +33 (0)1
47 11 85 88 - mathieu.durand@dassault-aviation.com
Rafale Communications
Nathalie Bakhos - Tel +33 (0)1 47 11 84 12 -
nathalie-beatrice.bakhos@dassault-aviation.com
HD photos: mediaprophoto.dassault-aviation.com
HD videos:
mediaprovideo.dassault-aviation.com
- PR_Dassault Aviation_Drone Rafale F5
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