France appears to have signalled its intention to leave the multinational Eurodrone programme, eliminating the medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) platform from the latest revision of its military procurement plan.
Presented to the French government’s conseil des ministres on 8 April, the planned update to the LPM military spending plan for the 2024-2030 period discloses a raft of changes to the document that was originally ratified in 2023.
France was one of four nations driving the development of the Eurodrone, a grouping also including Germany, Italy and Spain.
On the industrial side, the project is led by Airbus Defence & Space – representing both Germany and Spain – with other work packages contracted to Dassault Aviation in France and Leonardo in Italy.
Each nation has ordered five systems, totalling 15 of the uncrewed aircraft and 10 ground control stations. France had stated its ambition in the original version of the LPM in 2023 to field a total of six systems.
Eurodrone deliveries are set to commence in 2030, with a delayed preliminary design review having been concluded in 2024.
But the revised document features a table highlighting the differences between the new proposals and the original LPM. Under the entry for MALE drones for the period to 2035 it says “-6 MALE UE” – a French language reference to the Eurodrone.
Additionally, the document adds: “The military need for MALE theatre capability has been redirected to seize the opportunity linked to the emergence of a lower-cost sovereign theatre drone sector, with [the Eurodrone] now proving less suitable for high intensity [conflict].”
Instead of the Eurodrone, France is pivoting to MALE uncrewed air vehicles produced by domestic companies, with platforms from Aura Aero, Daher and Turgis & Gaillard all under consideration.
Under the revised plan, Paris will field an initial MALE UAV capability by 2030, alongside its current nine General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9 Reapers, which will then be retired by 2035.
Although the French government has proposed the changes to the LPM, they must still be ratified by both houses of the country’s parliament before becoming law.
Airbus Defence & Space declines to speculate on the future of the programme, adding: “Airbus is engaged in positive conversations with the Eurodrone partner nations for the next stages of the programme. Those discussions remain confidential.”
It is unclear whether Dassault will be concerned if France does exit the Eurodrone effort given its general ambivalence towards multi-national programmes.
Elsewhere, the revised LPM also proposes increasing the French air force’s fleet of Airbus A400M transports to 41 aircraft and the retirement of its 14 Lockheed Martin C-130Hs by 2030.
France also appears likely to firm the two options it holds for the Saab GlobalEye, having indicated a requirement for four examples of the Bombardier Global 6500-based surveillance asset by 2035. Paris ordered an initial pair of the jets late last year.
Deliveries of the Airbus Helicopters H160M Guepard will also be slower than previously planned: at least five should be delivered by 2030 – 15 fewer than previously – rising to at least 85 by 2035, a 15-unit increase.
To date, France has ordered 30 H160Ms from a 169-unit total requirement across all three branches of the armed forces; deliveries to the army are scheduled to begin in late 2028.
The post France edges closer to Eurodrone exit with LPM revision first appeared on FlightGlobal.