An Update on European Drones: February 2024

02/16/2024
By Pierre Tran Paris - Airbus is taking more time to decide on the early stage of design for a European medium-altitude, long-endurance drone, with the industrial partners looking for a good fit with specifications, Guillaume Faury, chief executive of the aircraft builder, said Feb.15. “The preliminary design review (PDR)…

Germany, Eurofighter and Saudi Arabia: January 2024 Update

01/10/2024
By Pierre Tran Paris - Germany has switched policy tracks with the approval of shipping a batch of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, in the wake of bitter conflict on the Gaza strip and Riyadh’s interest in the French Rafale fighter. “We do not see the German government…

Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) 2023

09/22/2023
According to a DSEI press release on September 21, 2023: Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) delivered the most successful edition for its customers, key stakeholders, partners in its 24-year history. DSEI broke all records last week in terms of overall attendance, number of visitors, and international delegations. Attendee numbers…

The Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon: A March 2022 Update

03/22/2022
By Pierre Tran Paris - France is keen to work with the U.K. on a project for next generation cruise and naval missiles, while Britain looked determined to field a hypersonic weapon, a French navy officer said. There are 18 months of talks under an Anglo-French agreement signed Feb. 18…

Dassault, Exports and the Next Generation Fighter Aircraft

03/07/2022
By Pierre Tran Paris - Dassault Aviation insisted on being appointed lead prime contractor and architect on a European next generation fighter jet, and also lead contractor on the fighter’s flight control system, executive chairman Eric Trappier said March 4. “These are two red lines,” he said on the sidelines…

The Eurodrone Program Moves Ahead: February 2022

03/01/2022
By Pierre Tran Paris - OCCAR, a European procurement agency, signed Feb. 24, 2022 a contract worth €7.1 billion ($8 billion) with Airbus Defence and Space as prime contractor for a medium-altitude, long-endurance drone, marking a step in the European pursuit of military, industrial, and political independence. “The Eurodrone program…

The CH-53K and Transformation of the USMC and the IDF

02/27/2022
By Robbin Laird The CH-53K comes into the USMC and into the Israeli Defence Force as both are in the process of transformation. The two forces are on different transformation paths with different adversaries as focal points, but this platform is coming to both forces as they are working new…

Indonesia Deepens French Defense Industrial Cooperation: Rafales Displace Su-35 Buy

02/10/2022
By Pierre Tran Paris - Indonesia ordered on Feb. 10, 2022, 42 Dassault Aviation Rafale fighter jets and missiles in a package worth $8.1 billion, with delivery of a first batch of six units in 2025, a French defense official said. “The chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, Eric Trappier,…