The First Rafale Transferred to the Indian Air Force: October 8, 2019

10/08/2019
By Pierre Tran Paris - Dassault Aviation played the host for an Oct. 8 ceremony for hand over of the first Rafale fighter jet to India, signaling a close military and industrial tie France seeks to deepen amidst stiff competition from Israel, Russia and the U.S. The presence of Indian…

France, Germany and New Defense Projects: Framing the Challenge

09/18/2019
By Pierre Tran BOURGES/AVORD AIRBASE, France France and Germany need to resolve political, industrial and operational differences hanging over projects for a new fighter jet and a new tank, a French senator said Sept. 13. A New Generation Fighter is key to the planned Future Combat Air System, backed by…

Dassault’s Perspective on the Way Ahead on European Defense Projects

09/06/2019
By Pierre Tran, Paris European industry needs much patience as key nations have yet to agree on requirements and budgets for a planned Future Combat Air System (FCAS) and a medium-altitude, long-endurance drone, Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier said Sept 4. France, Germany and Spain have yet to sign contracts for technology…

Thinking Post-Brexit: Serco Looks to Expand Footprint in the French Market

08/04/2019
By Pierre Tran Paris - Serco is seeking to break into the French defense market with offers of support services to military commanders, part of the British company’s bid to triple sales in Continental Europe in the next four years, two directors said. That drive to win French outsourcing deals…

Visiting the Paris Air Show, 2019: A Retrospective

07/19/2019
By Robbin Laird The challenge of visiting a large exhibition like the Paris Air Show is a bit like the challenge of visiting the Louvre.  It is so big, and so diverse that unless you focus on some core aspects, the panorama overwhelms you. You come away with a blur…

UK Focusing on New Weapons Developments

07/11/2019
According to an article published by the UK Ministry of Defence on July 9, 2019, the UK is focusing on developing new laser and radio frequency weapons. The state-of-the-art weapons systems, known as Directed Energy Weapons (DEW), are powered solely by electricity and operate without ammunition. The systems could be…

Leonardo Unveils Falco Xplorer UAS at Paris Air Show 2019

06/20/2019
By Andrew McLaughlin Italy’s Leonardo has unveiled the Falco Xplorer UAS, the largest remotely piloted system it has ever designed, at the 2019 Paris Airshow. The Xplorer is the latest addition to the company’s Falco line of UASs, and features a 350kg payload and an endurance of more then 24…

SAMI at the Paris Air Show 2019: Highlighting an L3 Partnership

06/19/2019
Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) has come to its first major air show by having a chalet at the 2019 Paris Air Show. According to Arab News in an article published June 12, 2019: Saudi Arabia Military Industries (SAMI) will participate in the 53rd edition of the International Paris Air…