Saab concept
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The European nEUROn project joins Britain’s Taranis UCAV, Russia’s MiG SKAT, Boeing’s X-45 Phantom Ray, and the US Navy’s X-47 UCAS-D program as unmanned aircraft projects with fighter-substitution potential.
Multinational projects are often fraught affairs, and Europe’s stealth Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) had its own close calls. In November 2005, a Forecast International report on the future UAV market saw political trouble coming for the proposed 6-nation nEUROn project, unless the partner nations could get their act together and agree. In the end, the project got rolling with committed funding of EUR 535 million and counting, and the French DGA (Délégation Générale pour l’Armement) procurement agency acting as the program executive. This FOCUS article covers the Neuron program’s 3-fold goals, envisioned platform, program structure and schedule, and ongoing contracts and developments. In the wake a Franco-British joint UCAV development memo, Britain’s Taranis project has been added to this article in a separate coverage stream.
Neuron: The Aircraft
Dassault concept
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As a UCAV, Neuron will be significantly larger and more advanced than other well-known UAV systems like the MQ-1/RQ-1 Predator UAV, with payloads and capabilities that begin to approach manned fighter aircraft. Illustrations, initial builds, and statements by the consortium partners indicate that the Neuron is envisioned as a stealth attack and reconnaissance UCAV in the same class as Northrop-Grumman’s X-47B N-UCAS, and Boeing’s privately-developed X-45 Phantom Ray.
As one can see, the Saab concept, and Dassault’s mock-ups and graphics bear a strong resemblance to Boeing’s X-45C, and indeed to designs like Russia’s MiG-SKAT. This is partly the result of similar design pressures, which emphasize maximum stealth due to the UCAVs’ low situational awareness, and lack of self-defense capabilities. Data from Saab and Alenia indicates that the Neuron demonstrator measures 9-10m long by 12-13m wide, and weighs in at 5 tons, with a maximum speed of Mach 0.8, and 100 minutes of loiter time at 100 km distance. This is roughly the size of a F-16 fighter (15m x 10m, 4.25 tons empty), but smaller than an F-117 Nighthawk (19m x 13m, 7 tons empty), and with less range and loiter than most UCAVs envisage.
nEUROn’s Turbomeca/ Rolls Royce Adour Mk 951 is the latest variant of the non-reheated turbofan engine that has already been selected by the UK, South Africa and Bahrain to power the latest BAE Hawk trainer and light attack aircraft. The Mk 951 offers increased (6,500 vs. 5,845 pounds) thrust and performance, a high-performance Electronic Engine Control Unit (EECU), and extended life with reduced life cycle costs. The Adour engine family is installed in Hawk, Jaguar, and Mitsubishi T-1/F2 aircraft operated by 22 military forces around the world, and has accumulated over 7 million flying hours world-wide.
Dassault concept
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The aircraft will have unmanned autonomous air-to-ground attack capabilities with precision-guided munitions, relying on an advanced stealth airframe design that reduces radar and infrared cross-sections to penetrate undetected. Dassault has said that other payloads, such as reconnaissance devices, will be validated at a later stage.
The UCAV system is also envisioned as working with manned fighters, but the details remain to be seen. The ability to control a nEUROn swarm flight in automatic mode from an advanced fighter like the Dassault Rafale or JAS-39 Gripen remains under consideration, but is far from certain. Readers who play real-time strategy computer games are already familiar with the ability to group drone units and to control the group, but adapting that to real life is somewhat more complex.
Neuron: The Program
Program Goals
nEUROn program
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During the 2003 Paris Air Show, French Minister of Defense Michele Alliot-Marie announced a major agreement signed between EADS, Dassault Aviation, and Thales. The agreement covered a joint-venture to “realize a new unmanned military technology that covers all future activity in combat and strategic reconnaissance aeronautics.” EADS currently leads a HALE (High Altitude, Long Endurance) UAV project, and a manned/unmanned maritime surveillance project is also in progress based on work done by Thales, Dassault, and Elbit Systems.
The Neuron UCAV program, meanwhile, is led by the French DGA defense procurement agency. DGA acts as the program executive on behalf of the participating countries, and has entrusted development of the first Neuron UCAV demonstrator to Dassault Aviation and its European partners. These include SAAB (Sweden) in particular, HAI (Greece), Alenia (Italy), EADS-CASA (Spain), and RUAG Aerospace (Switzerland).
As the excellent AFCEA Signal Magazine article “Neuron Gains Altitude” noted in September 2005, the program has three stated goals:
1. The first is to maintain and develop the skills of the participating European aerospace companies’ design offices, which will not see any other new fighter programs before 2030 now that the Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter projects are all complete or well underway.
2. The second goal is to investigate and validate the technologies that will be needed by 2015 to design next-generation combat aircraft.
3. The final aim is to validate an innovative cooperation process by establishing a European industry team responsible for developing next-generation combat aircraft.
Logiduc UCAV design
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Indeed, Dassault’s June 12/05 press kit went out of its way to note that this is not a military program:
“Son objectif n’est pas d’effectuer des missions militaires, mais de demontrer la maturite et l’efficacite de solutions techniques… Le projet nEUROn n’a pas pour objectif de developper de nouvelles armes… Il devra valider certaines technologies en faisant appel a un systeme d’avionique modulaire fiable… ainsi que sur des logiciels de haut niveau. Il est clair qu’a travers des missions de demonstration, l’objectif est de demontrer la validite de technologies de commandement et de controle d’un vehicule sans pilote d’une taille equivalente a celui d’un avion de combat, avec tous les modes de secours necessaires assurant la securite requise.”
Trans: “Our objective is not to execute military missions, but to demonstrate the maturity and effectiveness of key technologies… The nEUROn project is not about developing new weapons… Rather, it will validate certain technologies and demonstrate reliable modular avionics and control systems… similar to modern high level technologies. The goal is to demonstrate the ability to operate a pilotless vehicle with capabilities that approach a manned fighter, with all of the pieces in place to assure safe operations.”
Of course, if the resulting UCAV passes all tests, rapid adaptation of a military variant, or follow-on tests around carrier-based operations, might follow if orders were forthcoming. By May 2013, it had become apparent that France, at least, was waking up to the necessity of this next step.
Industrial Partners
Saab concept
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Chief nEUROn project manager Thierry Prunier comes from Dassault Aviation, and the deputy project managers are Mats Ohlson of Saab and Ermanno Bertolina of Alenia. There is just one link between the executive agency (DGA) and the prime contractor (Dassault), and it will be up to the executive agency to coordinate with the government agencies of the participating countries. It will be up to the prime contractor, meanwhile, to coordinate the work with the other companies.
Work breakdowns among those companies are as follows. Each industrial partner retains design rights for its specific contribution:
Program Budgets & Schedules
Mock-Up: Paris 2005
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According to prime contractor Dassault Aviation, the French government will provide half of the program’s EUR 400 million ($480 million) budget, while the remaining funds will be supplied by the other participating member nations.
More precise reports place France’s share of the development funding at about EUR 185 million. Sweden’s share would be SEK 750 million (EUR 80 million at then-current conversion), of which SEK 600 million (EUR 64 million) would be financed by Saab AB. The Swedish FMV procurement agency will offset Saab’s costs, however, with an equal contribution to future development of the Saab JAS-39 Gripen manned lightweight fighter. The cost of Spain’s participation to the program is estimated at EUR 35.5 million, spread over the 2007-2012 period.
The program’s Feasibility Phase contract kicked off a 4 1/2 year system definition and design phase with related low-observability (stealth) studies.
The 15-month, EUR 405 million Feasibility Phase explored technology roadmaps in stealth, flight control of a rudderless airframe, open modular avionics, and development of internal weapon bays. Wind tunnel testing, radar measurements, technology testing in labs, and off-the-shelf equipment selection helped define the UCAV’s external shape, expected stealth materials, avionics architecture, and engine (the Turbomeca/Rolls Royce Adour Mk951).
The Definition Phase (EUR 130 million) worked to validate the design, “freeze” the shapes of the demonstrator aircraft, and detail its component systems and their interfaces.
nEUROn is currently in the Development and Assembly Phase. The 1st prototype was officially rolled out in January 2012, with a first flight that has slipped from the first half of 2011 to the end of 2012. The 2-year flight test program has now begun in Istres, France, with down-time for full-scale radar signature testing in a French anechoic chamber, followed by 2nd and 3rd-phase flight tests in Sweden and Italy beginning around 2014. The test program is scheduled to involve about 100 sorties, including the launch of a laser-guided bomb. Weapons release was originally scheduled for 2012, but will probably take place in 2014 or later.
Thunder or Echo? Britain’s Taranis UCAV
Taranis
Britain is also working on a stealthy UCAV design powered by an Adour jet engine, and it’s named after the Celtic god of thunder. Taranis began in 2006, with an unveiling in July 2010, taxi trials in April 2013 at Warton, UK, and flight testing that began in August 2013 at Woomera, Australia. The plane has also received radar cross-section measurements. Those remain classified, but the design is very similar to other stealth UCAVs – Boeing’s X-45 in particular.
The project has budgeted GBP 185 million (EUR as of 2006), split between government and an industry team of BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, GE Aviation’s Systems division (formerly Smiths Aerospace), and QinetiQ. Overall, the UK MoD says that 250 firms have been involved.
A 2010 agreement with France appears to have have laid the ground work for Britain to merge its Taranis project and technologies into a wider co-operative Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program, hence its inclusion in the same article. It has its own Contracts section as well, below nEUROn’s.
nEUROn: Contracts & Key Events
2015
Formation flight
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December 15/15: BAE Systems has announced that they have completed the third and final series of flight tests of the Taranis Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV). Its development comes as the UK aims to keep indigenous UAV/UCAV construction capabilities. The test, according to BAE group managing director of programs and support, Nigel Whitehead, “met all test objectives”. The development of the Taranis is part of an Anglo-French contract agreement which aims at developing a joint UCAV, combined with the development of the French Dassault nEUROn, for a joint European UCAV.
2014
July 7/14: Next? Aviation Week covers the French-British FCAS program, whose initial phase will overlap nEUROn’s final testing phase. The question is how to structure the path forward after a weapon drop in Sweden wraps up the European UCAV’s testing. Britain and France may not be in sync, but they way still be able to cooperate, as they prep for a 2-year, EUR 200 million study phase:
Ultimately, the proposal for a four-year demonstration phase – which is expected to top [EUR] 1 billion – could rely on multiple vehicles to serve as technology testbeds. In addition to a demonstrator combining some aspects of Taranis and Neuron, these could include less-costly simulators and manned platforms, such as using a Dassault Falcon [business jet] to test [sensors]…. “The biggest driver is the budget,” the industry official said. “We may even reuse Taranis or nEUROn.”
Sources: Aviation Week, “Neuron Tests Moving To Sweden In 2016”.
June 12/14: French Minister of Defense Jean-Yves Le Drian visits Dassault Aviation’s Istres site, where he watched a nEUROn test flight.
He also reportedly reaffirmed a commitment to moving the Franco-British FCAS program forward, with the intent to sign a EUR 200+ million deal at Farnborough 2014. Sources: French MdlD, “Deplacement de Jean-Yves Le Drian, ministre de la Defense, a la Direction generale de l’armement Essais en vol a Istres le jeudi 12 juin 2014” | Dassault Aviation, “The French Minister of Defense visited the Dassault Aviation Istres site” | Defense News, “France, UK To Sign Memo Kicking Off Combat Drone Study”.
Formation flight
March 20/14: Testing. Dassault Aviation organizes a formation flight of the nEUROn UCAV with a Rafale fighter and a Falcon 7X business jet, as a next step in ongoing flight tests.
Dassault says that a combat drone flying in formation with manned aircraft is a global first, which is true in narrow terms. American planes under full mechanical control have flown as aerial refueling receivers in unmanned formation tests, with a pilot on hand in case things went sideways. Technically, all Dassault did was remove that safety element, and use a UAV with different capabilities. They also kept the UAV in the lead position at all times, which allows the 2 manned planes to take responsibility for maintaining the formation if necessary. Basic formation flying is simple for humans. It can be tricky for UAVs, who must sense other aircraft and then react correctly in the face of airflow changes caused by aircraft ahead of them. Dassault Aviation, “The Patrol: nEUROn, Rafale, Falcon 7X” (with video) | Dassault Aviation, “The eye of Katsu Tokunaga (with video)”.
2011 – 2013
nEUROn: flight test
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May 31/13: French boost. French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian writes an article for Les Echos. Frustration with France’s high-end UAV options leads him to commit to the nEUROn program, saying that “we will allocate the necessary means.”
He also states his commitment to buy 2 MQ-9 Reaper UAVs from the USA, for delivery before the end of 2013. After so much procrastination, with only 2 Harfang drones operational, and with pressing commitments in Mali and elsewhere, he says that France must take the immediately available choice. Defense Aerospace suggests that the French Air Force finally got their way, after stalling other options. The Americans’ reluctance to allow even key NATO allies like Italy to arm their drones suggests that French MQ-9s will also be unarmed. Ultimately, Le Drian argues for a European partnership that will share expertise and develop a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV like the Reaper. In an era of limited budgets, an operational nEUROn-type UCAV represents another alternative. Les Echos | Defense-Aerospace.
May 14/13: Certification. Germany has decided to end the RQ-4 Euro Hawk project. Not only would it cost hundreds of millions to attempt EASA certification, but reports indicate that German authorities aren’t confident that they would receive certification at the end of the process. Rather than pay another EUR 600 – 700 million for additional UAVs and equipment, and an equivalent amount to attempt EASA certification, Germany will attempt to find another path.
This is bad news for the nEUROn project, which will face the same certification problems. Read “RQ-4 Euro Hawk UAV: Death by Certification” for full coverage.
May 9/13: Italy. Foolish American intransigence may be about to create a Reaper competitor. Is this an opportunity to give the nEUROn a long-term role? Aviation Week interviews Italy’s national armaments director Gen. Claudio Debertolis, who reveals that Italy asked to arm its MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper UAVs 2 years ago. The USA has refused to cooperate, halting Italian efforts, while allowing the British to arm their Reaper UAVs.
Italy is responsible for wide swathes of territory in Afghanistan, and was the point country for NATO’s campaign against Libya in 2011. Arming their UAVs is a high priority, and Debertolis confirms that Italy is in talks with potential European partners to move forward with a covert “Super MALE” weaponized UAV program. If they don’t develop a new UAV from scratch, the existing nEUROn program could fill this niche. So, too could UAE-owned Piaggio’s P.1HH Hammerhead, derived from a high-end light business transport. A 3rd option would be to just buy Heron UAVs from Israel, which that country has reportedly armed. France’s Harfang is a Heron derivative, and Germany is already operating them as rent-a-drones, so an armed Heron and a conversion kit could offer a quick solution for all concerned.
The question for any of these options, and even for converting existing MQ-1/9 UAVs with American permission, revolves around funding. America may have delayed Italy for so long that it doesn’t have the budget to do anything, even convert its existing UAVs. Aviation Week.
Dec 1/12: Flight. The nEUROn successfully completes its maiden test flight from Dassault Aviation’s facility in Istres, France. The flight had slipped from mid-2011 to mid-2012, to the current date.
Testing will continue in France until 2014, to be followed by further tests in Vidsel, Sweden, before heading to the Perdadesfogu range in Italy for weapon and stealth testing. Dassault Aviation | French DGA [in French] | Usine Nouvelle [in French]
1st flight
Jan 20/12: Rollout! The nEUROn European UCAV technology demonstrator is officially presented to the representatives of the 6 participating countries by Dassault Aviation. Dassault:
“The first engine tests will be performed very soon, aiming at a first flight mid-2012. Afterwards, a complete sequence of test flights will take place during two years in France, Sweden and Italy. These tests will address flight qualities, stealthiness, air-to-ground weapon firing from an internal bay, integration into a C4i environment as well as the [safe] insertion of uninhabited platform in [controlled] airspace.”
At present, software integration is in its final stage, using the “global integration tests” rig in Istres, France. The first ground tests for hydraulics, electrical, fuel, etc. have taken place, with comprehensive engine tests to follow, as noted above. See also French DGA [in French].
nEUROn rollout
July 8/11: Germany. Aviation Week reports on Germany’s high-end UAV plans, beyond its planned 6 RQ-4 Euro-Hawk surveillance and SIGINT drones. The publication states that Germany is looking to buy 4 UAVs for wide-area surveillance, probably more RQ-4 variants, in order to complement NATO’s 6 RQ-4B Block 40 AGS drones. They’re also looking at fielding 16 systems of MALE drones over the next decade, to replace the current Heron UAV lease.
Farther into the future, Germany is reportedly considering UCAVs. The nEUROn program is the most likely beneficiary if Germany goes ahead, with possible competition from American offerings like Boeing’s X-45 Phantom Ray, Northrop Grumman’s X-47B UCAS-D, and/or General Atomics’ jet-powered Predator C Avenger.
July 7/11: At the 2011 Paris Air Show, Dassault Aviation presented enterprise applications using the future Samsung Sur40 tactile table for Microsoft Surface. These include military mission planning, and it will be interesting to see if this technology is used for operational components of the nEUROn system. Dassault Aviation [in French] | Reuters.
July 1/11: Dassault releases photos of nEUROn in final assembly, with all sub-assemblies delivered and the program on schedule. AIN quotes Dassault SVP of UAV/UCAV Programs, Thierry Prunier, as saying that although only one UCAV is being completed for flight test, up to 4 examples of each subassembly have been built.
The non-flying subassemblies are currently being used for “real hardware-in-the-loop” tests at 4 pre-integration rigs: Saint-Cloud, France (flight control) system; 2 in Getafe, Spain (ground control, datalink management); and Linköping, Sweden (avionics). Meanwhile, the Adour Mk951 turbofan engine has been matched to the nozzle, and run for 50 hours under control of the Flight Control System.
Prunier also confirmed to AIN that each industrial partner retains design rights for its specific contribution. That will matter if Britain, Germany, and other nations wish to join. AIN
May 19/11: Sub-contractors. Alenia Aeronautica announces delivery of the nEUROn’s Weapon Bay Doors & Mechanism to the Dassault plant in Istres, France, following successful acceptance checks.
This stealth-maintaining system was designed, built and integrated entirely by Alenia Aeronautica, and includes both the weapon housing doors and their activation and control system. The assembly uses manufacturing techniques that were new to the company, and Alenia Aeronautica has even patented the design for the “seal” around their perimeter.
Jan 25/11: Sub-contractors. Saab AB officially delivers nEUROn front and central fuselage sections to Dassault Aviation, at its Linkoping facility. They will now be transported to Dassault’s site in Istres, France, which is preparing for final assembly.
The rear fuselage section arrived at Istres in mid-January from HAI in Greece, and future deliveries will provide most of the major components needed for assembly. Dassault itself is delivering stealth related parts to Istres from January – March 2011. RUAG’s ordnance release pantograph will arrive from Switzerland by the end of February 2011. March 2011 will see deliveries of the 2 half-wings from EADS-CASA in Spain, and the 2 weapon bay doors from Italy’s Alenia. Saab’s next big delivery is in April 2011, when they will ship the 3 landing gear doors from Linkoping, Sweden.
Final layout, piping, electrical wiring and equipment fitting, and assembly are expected to be finished by last quarter of 2011. The next step after that is ground tests, followed by the first engine run-up by end 2011, and hopefully a maiden flight in mid-2012. Saab/ Dassault release.
2008 – 2010
nEUROn: takeoff concept
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Jan 20/09: Progress report. Dassault Aviation discusses progress to date on the nEUROn program. At present, 85% of the total budget has been awarded to Industry by France’s DGA. All major nEUROn systems underwent design reviews in 2008, and interface design is almost complete, paving the way for more detailed work on the systems and airframe.
That airframe shape is now final. Switzerland’s Ruag carried out 2 specific wind tunnel tests in 2008. The first helped identify the conditions which could affect aerodynamics when the vehicle is near the ground (ground effect), while the second analyzed the consequences of a bird strike on the leading edge of the wing. Results of these tests were very positive, enabling engineers to freeze the final shape of the vehicle.
Industrial work is also proceeding on critical subassemblies. Dassault Aviation’s experimental development center at Argenteuil has produced an inlet demonstrator, while its Biarritz plant is making a complete leading edge section, about 2 m/ 6 feet long. Saab is beginning to make aluminum ribs. Greece’s HAI has assembled a complete engine exhaust nozzle, which is to be mated to a Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour jet engine for mechanical and integration tests this month. Dassault release.
Nov 19/08: Sub-contractors. Saab Group announces that production of the unmanned Neuron craft has just begun at Tjust Mekaniska in Sweden, a small company with approximately 50 employees and a turnover of about SEK 50 million. They have been commissioned by Saab to manufacture 8 aluminum ribs making up the frame for the Neuron hull. Peter Svensson from Saab Aerostructures:
“The plan is to have most of the component manufactured parts ready in time for the European 2009 summer holiday, in time for the hull assembly to begin.”
Tjust Mekaniska uses a large German CNC machine that works directly from a 3D drawing program, and mills the outline of the Neuron rib at a speed of 24,000 rpm, using water to cool the operation. The excess aluminium flakes are pressed together and sold for recycling.
Oct 10/08: AVE-C scale demonstrator. As part of tests of new control surfaces, a Dassault AVE-C drone flight tests yaw control using thrust vectoring.
June 30/08: AVE-C scale demonstrator. Dassault’s AVE-C drone (Aeronefs de Validation Experimentale) completes its first fully autonomous demonstration flight near Toul, France. The jet powered UAV performed a completely automated flight sequence: roll from parking spot, runway alignment, takeoff, in-flight maneuvers, landing, braking and rolling back to the parking apron. The flight was watched by representatives of France’s Delegation Generale pour l’Armement (DGA) procurement agency.
The demonstration flight of this scale model demonstrator is one of the development milestones for nEUROn’s key technologies. Defense Update.
Scaled AVE-C flight
2006 – 2007
nEUROn swarm
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June 19/07: Bambino di nEUROn? Alenia Aeronautica, Dassault, and Saab sign an MoU to develop a Medium Altitude, Long Endurance (MALE) UAV system. nEUROn program technologies, tools, and partnership models will all be re-used in this program. Full DID coverage. As of 2012, it hasn’t advanced very far.
June 12/07: Project definition order. France’s DGA(Delegation Generale pour l’Armement) defense procurement agency officially notifies the Neuron Strategic Board of a EUR 130 million contract (about $175 million) for the nEUROn project definition phase. The definition phase will last 19 months, and aims to validate the design, “freeze” the shapes of the demonstrator aircraft, and detail its component systems and their interfaces. Ministere de la Defense release.
Definition phase
April 10/07: Sub-contractors. A Saab release says that a Neuron model has been installed on a 1:16 scale in the wind tunnel belonging to the Forces Research Institute (FOI:s) in Stockholm, and adds that testing is now underway to verify the outer shape and design. The testing involves high speed trials and testing at levels up to the speed of sound, in order to verify that the aircraft can be controlled and steered inside the entire flight envelope. The model in the picture looks substantially similar to artists’ conceptions done to date. Saab release
April 10/07: Progress report. At the same time as the high speed testing at FOI, low speed testing is being carried out in France. Indeed, a Dassault release says that “With the positive results gained all along these different tests, nEUROn shapes are validated and almost frozen.” It notes the following milestones:
Preliminary test in June 2005.
2 low speed tests at Emmen in Switzerland in 2006 in partnership with RUAG Aerospace.
3 air intake tests in 2006 and 2007 at S2 ONERA Modane in France.
1 low speed test in March 2007 at F1 ONERA Fauga in France.
Oct 11/06: Sub-contractors. Safran group subsidiary Turbomeca announces that Dassault Aviation has ordered two Adour Mk 951 engines and associated support, from the RRTMjoint venture between Turbomeca and Rolls Royce. The first Adour Mk 951 will be delivered mid 2008 for ground testing, while the second (spare engine) is scheduled to be delivered at the end of 2010 for the flight test program. The release describes the deliveries as a “rental contract.”
The Adour Mk 951 is the latest variant of the non-reheated turbofan engine that has already been selected by the UK, South Africa and Bahrain to power the latest BAE Hawk trainer and light attack aircraft. The Mk 951 offers increased (6,500 vs. 5,845 pounds) thrust and performance, a high-performance Electronic Engine Control Unit (EECU), and extended life with reduced life cycle costs. The Adour engine family is installed in Hawk, Jaguar, and Mitsubishi T-1/F2 aircraft operated by 22 military forces around the world, and has accumulated over 7 million flying hours to date world-wide.
Sept 12/06: Program Review. The first intermediate synthesis review of the nEUROn program took place on Sept 6-7/06 at Dassault Aviation facilities in Saint-Cloud, France. The results of the initial 6 months of feasibility studies were presented to the program’s executive (France’s DGA), and to representatives from other participating governments (Segredifesa, FMV, DGAM, GDA and Armasuisse).
The session’s focus was on the external shape of the vehicle and systems, which stem from the necessary tradeoffs to fulfill the performance, low observability/ stealth, and independent flyability requirements of the specifications. See Dassault release.
Program review
May 23/06: Study delivered. Dassault Aviation and its partners Alenia, SAAB, EADS CASA, HAI and RUAG delivered yesterday the first nEUROn study to the DGA ahead of schedule. This first step is the preliminary technical definition of the project.
Study
Feb 10/06: Initial development contract. nEUROn program launched with committed funding of EUR 405 million.
Project launch
Taranis / FCAS: Contracts & Key Events
2013 – 2014
Taranis begins testing in Australia; Next-step Anglo-French FCAS program signed, could include Taranis.
FCAS
December 23/16: A 12-month study has been ordered under a bilateral agreement between the French and British government, marking the next interim stage of the joint Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program. It is hoped that the study will then lead to a full-scale demonstrator development program by the end of 2017, which has $1.87 billion earmarked for the production of two full-scale unmanned combat air vehicles. Companies to take part in the preparatory work include BAE Systems, Dassault, Rolls-Royce, Safran, Leonardo and Thales.
Nov 5/14: FCAS. The French DGA and UK MoD have signed the contracts for FCAS. The feasibility phase is GBP 120 / EUR 150 million, but the respective countries are also investing GBP 40 million (UK) and EUR 50 million (France) individually, bringing the overall total to GBP 200 million / EUR 250 million. This work will run until the end of 2016, and is intended to be followed by a demonstrator UCAV program. But which UCAV? This is where it gets interesting:
“The programme will develop and compare 2 national designs and concepts. Those designs will then lead to a joint one which could be used for any potential future UCAS programme.”
Looks like nEURON and Taranis will each have a bit farther to go. Industrial participants will remain Dassault Aviation and BAE Systems (system integrators), Thales and Selex ES (embedded electronics and sensors), and Rolls-Royce Snecma Ltd. (propulsion JV). Sources: French DGA, “La DGA et DE&S lancent les etudes industrielles du futur drone aérien de combat franco-britannique” | UK MoD, “[GBP] 120 million Anglo-French defence contract” | BAE, “Preparing for Future Combat Aerospace” | Rolls Royce, “Rolls-Royce Snecma Ltd. signs contract with UK Ministry of Defence to launch feasibility phase for Future Combat Aircraft” | Selex ES, “Finmeccanica – Selex ES and Thales start work on UK-French Future Combat Air System sensor requirements” | Thales, “Thales and Finmeccanica – Selex ES start work on UK-French Future Combat Air System sensor requirements”.
FCAS contracts
Aug 6/14: Taranis engineering. Aviation Week talks to BAE’s chief aerodynamicist Chris Lee, and he talks about some of the challenges involved in Taranis. Lee’s challenge was to take a design whose stealth optimization compromises controllability and engine airflow, which means speed and maneuverability were compromised for stealth, payload and range. Flow over the basic shape can cause “rapid non-linear changes in pitch and yaw,” and an engine intake designed for radar cross section above all leads to swirling and separated airflow at the engine fan face. Just to make things even more fun, the large rectangular exhaust meant to reduce infrared signature creates airflow issues with the wing control surfaces, which are already somewhat limited due to the craft’s basic design.
These kinds of problems are fairly standard across flying wing UCAV designs, and the industry is still in early days in terms of exploring new solutions. Overall, BAE seems to have done relatively well, with lower than expected drag and a number of design solutions that were innovative enough to be classified. The goal for FCAS will be to take those technologies, address issues that arose in testing, and field a UCAV that can meet stealth requirements with a wider flight envelope for speed and maneuverability. Sources: Aviation Week, “Stealth Helps BAE Hone New Aerodynamic Skills”.
July 29/14: Report. The UK government responds to the Commons Defence committee’s RPAS report (see Additional Readings), and clarifies where Taranis and FCAS fit:
“The Taranis Technology Demonstration Programme (TDP) aims to develop key technologies and systems to inform a future operational Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) acquisition programme. Two phases of Taranis flight trials were carried out in 2013-14, a third phase is planned for 2015 in order to gain further understanding of the radar cross section of the air vehicle during operation. It is unlikely that Taranis itself will be developed directly into an operational UCAV capability. It is primarily a technology demonstrator.
The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme will subsequently be responsible for the development of a UCAV capability. A two year national FCAS programme has been launched which aims to inform the forthcoming SDSR on the most appropriate force mix of platforms and systems in order to meet the future combat air requirement from 2030. A UCAV along the lines of Taranis is one potential element of this force mix, along with an additional buy of Lightning II, a [Eurofighter] Typhoon life extension or an alternative new-build manned aircraft. This will allow a decision to be made at the next SDSR about whether to commit to a UCAV development programme.”
Sources: UK House of Commons Select Committee on Defense, “Remote Control: Remotely Piloted Air Systems – current and future UK use – Defence Committee: Government Response”.
July 11/14: FCAS. France and Britain sign the Future Combat Air System Demonstration Program (FCAS DP) cooperative agreement at Farnborough 2014. They stick to the originally-discussed GBP 120 million budget (q.v. Jan 31/14), which works out to around EUR 150 million. That comes in at the low end of advance EUR 150 – 200 million reports for the 2-year agreement, which will involve Dassault Aviation, BAE Systems, Thales, Selex, Snecma and Rolls-Royce.
FCAS is no longer a combat demonstrator, however; instead, it has devolved to a study program that will look at technology, integration, and workshare issues. Dassault and BAE will focus on overall integration and design, and Rolls Royce and Safran will collaborate on engine-related technologies. Selex ES and Thales will cooperate to develop the multifunction sensor suite and communication sub-system, including the “PERFECTA” project to develop a digital backbone for the sensor set. British procurement chief Philip Dunne has told reporters the two nations are “working in parallel on protocols concerning data-sharing.” The multinational nEUROn program is scheduled to wrap up around the same time this phase will end, and Taranis will have completed its own testing. One interviewee even threw out the possibility that both nEUROn and Taranis could end up participating in FCAS flight tests.
The question of where FCAS goes from 2016-2020 may become another stumbling block, especially since Britain could have a new government by then, and France is scheduled to have its own elections in early 2017. Still, the only way to move forward is one step at a time, and the technology’s industrial importance could draw nEUROn countries to join the new effort. Sources: GOV.UK, “UK and France strengthen defence co-operation” | Dassault Aviation, “BAE Systems and Dassault Aviation welcome £120m / €150 million FCAS study by UK and French Governments” | Selex ES, “Thales and Finmeccanica – Selex ES team up to address UK-French Unmanned Combat Air Systems sensor requirements” | Snecma, “Snecma (Safran) et Rolls-Royce se felicitent des progres en matiere d’etudes conjointes sur les moteurs d’avions de combat” | Aviation Week, “Neuron Tests Moving To Sweden In 2016” | Defense-Aerospace, “UK, France to Launch 2-Year FCAS Demo Phase” | Defense News, “France, UK To Sign Memo Kicking Off Combat Drone Study”.
FCAS programme arrangement
July 7/14: FCAS. Aviation Week covers the French-British FCAS program, whose initial phase will overlap nEUROn’s final testing phase. The question is how to structure the path forward after a weapon drop in Sweden wraps up the European UCAV’s testing. Britain and France may not be in sync, but they way still be able to cooperate, as they prep for a 2-year, EUR 200 million study phase:
Ultimately, the proposal for a four-year demonstration phase – which is expected to top [EUR] 1 billion – could rely on multiple vehicles to serve as technology testbeds. In addition to a demonstrator combining some aspects of Taranis and Neuron, these could include less-costly simulators and manned platforms, such as using a Dassault Falcon [business jet] to test [sensors]…. “The biggest driver is the budget,” the industry official said. “We may even reuse Taranis or nEUROn.”
Sources: Aviation Week, “Neuron Tests Moving To Sweden In 2016”.
Feb 5/14: The UK MoD and BAE Systems finally discusses Taranis, though details remain very sketchy, and the firm contends that even some exterior design aspects are classified. Of course, telling people that just encourages professionals to download the released pictures and videos, look for photoshopping, and make careful notes about which angles aren’t being shown. We wouldn’t put it past the British to smile and launch a snipe hunt, and this kind of meta is why intelligence is such a crazy-making profession.
What Britain will say is that the total Taranis budget is confirmed to have grown to GBP 185 million, split between the government and industry. They also confirm that taxi tests began in April 2013 at Warton, UK, and that the 1st flight took place on Aug 10/13 for 15 minutes. As noted earlier by local sources (q.v. April 14/13), the flights took place at Australia’s semi-remote Woomera test range, which is owned by BAE. Sources: UK MoD, “First flight trials of Taranis aircraft” | BAE Systems, “Taranis FAQs” and “First flights of UK-built Taranis unmanned aircraft surpass all expectations”.
Jan 31/14: Anglo-French UCAS. Britain and France building on the 2010 Lancaster House treaty with various commitments, including “a statement of intent for a future combat air system, which would launch a 2-year, [GBP] 120 million joint feasibility phase that will see British and French industries working together.” The consensus is that this R&D will involve a stealthy, jet-powered Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle like the British Taranis and European nEUROn programs (q.v. Feb 17/12). Partners include BAE, Dassault, Rolls Royce, Snecma, Safran, Selex, and Thales.
Rolls-Royce and Snecma will continue to explore “propulsion system concepts and technologies” as part of the FCAS Preparation Phase contract. Their release may tout “next generation of UK and French combat aircraft engines,” but the truth is that a UCAV engine is going to focus on very different areas than fighter engines, stressing fuel efficiency and lower heat signature over thrust performance.
The key catch here is commitment beyond the initial 2-year period. Despite efforts of this nature, and continued development of an Anglo-French Combined Joint Expeditionary Force, French sources are expressing quiet reservations. These include the difficulty of securing program cooperation with British political counterparts who are already in campaign mode for 2015, and concerns about British austerity measures and their potential effects on joint programs and endeavors. Sources: UK MoD, “UK and France agree closer defence co-operation” BAE Systems, “We welcome the announcement on further UK/ French unmanned air systems (UAS) Technology development” | Dassault, “Dassault Aviation salutes a major step forward for the Future Combat Air System” | Rolls Royce, “Rolls-Royce and Snecma welcome continuation of joint combat engine studies” | Defense Update, “UK, France to Invest £120 million in a Joint UCAV Study” | IHS Jane’s, “France and the UK sign defence co-operation agreements” | The Independent, “Britain to set up controversial drone development partnership with France” | Le Monde, “La defense au coeur du sommet franco-britannique”.
Oct 24/13: Testing. Taranis is flying, albeit without the fanfare accorded to nEUROn’s initial flight. Testing would be taking place at Australia’s Woomera Range, over 300 km north of Adelaide:
“The BAE Systems Taranis unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) demonstrator has made its maiden flight and is currently conducting initial flight trials, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed to IHS Jane’s on 25 October. “Flight trials are currently ongoing,” an MoD spokesperson told IHS Jane’s.”
Sources: UK Parliament | IHS Jane’s, “Taranis makes maiden flight”.
Aug 10/13: 1st flight. Taranis’ first flight, as pinpointed by subsequent revelations from Britain’s MoD.
1st flight
April 14/13: Testing. Australia’s News Corp. reports that Taranis will conduct its 2013 flight testing at Australia’s Woomera range, but incorrectly characterize the drone as “supersonic.”
Taranis is around the same size as BAE’s sub-sonic Hawk trainers, and is reportedly powered by the same 6,480 pound thrust Adour 951 engine that equips Hawk trainers in Britain and South Africa. An engine with that rating isn’t going to take an armed and loaded full-size UCAV supersonic, nor would there be much advantage in doing so. Like other UCAV projects around the world, Taranis is almost certainly a sub-sonic stealth vehicle. News Corp.
2007 – 2012
Taranis R&D program launched; Lancaster House agreement with France has a UCAV component; Studies agreed.
Taranis IG
(click to view full)
July 25/12: Following a meeting in London, defense ministers from the UK and France agree on a joint EUR 13 million (about $15.7 million) UCAV research study by BAE (Taranis) and Dassault (nEUROn lead). A coming contract will link Rolls-Royce, whose Adour engine powers both Taranis and nEUROn, with France’s Safran in a joint study for future UCAV engine options.
They also confirm that France will buy 1 WK450B Watchkeeper system for operational assessments and trials in 2012 and 2013. What did not happen, is any kind of collaboration announcement on an Anglo-French medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UAV like BAE & Dassault’s Telemos. Defense News | BAE Systems | Thales Group.
Joint UCAV study
July 9/12: Good news, Bad news. BAE announces that Taranis has gone beyond the stealthy targets set for the program, according to recently completed radar cross section tests at BAE Systems’ Warton site. Engine testing at Rolls Royce was also encouraging, demonstrating Taranis’ reduced infra-red signature. The bad news? The ministry wants more tests now, which will delay flight trials to 2013.
June 29/12: NAVSOP. BAE Systems Advanced Technology Centre discusses research it’s doing into Navigation via Signals of Opportunity (NAVSOP), which could become critical to UCAVs. GPS can be blocked or spoofed, and inertial navigation is imprecise unless it can be re-calibrated once in a while. NAVSOP exploits existing transmissions such as Wi-Fi, TV, radio, mobile phone, Low-Earth-Orbit satellites, and other civilian signals to calculate its position. The wide range it exploits would make it very hard to jam, and would allow it to work even in environments where a GPS signal would fail.
NAVSOP has a number of potential military uses, but it’s ideal for a UCAV that must navigate correctly in the most hostile environments. This may be why BAE’s NAVSOP infographic has a Taranis UCAV at its center.
Feb 17/12: Anglo-French UCAS. Britain & France follow up on their Nov 2/10 cooperation statement with an underwhelming announcement: they’ll commission a study about a next-generation UAV, and France will evaluate Britain’s smaller Watchkeeper MK450B:
“7. Following an analysis of lessons identified, we have decided to prioritise our joint work in the key areas of: command and control; information systems; intelligence, surveillance, targeting and reconnaissance; and precision munitions…
16. Unmanned air systems are crucial to success in the battlefield, as the Libya and Afghanistan campaigns have shown. We have agreed today to take forward our planned cooperation on UAS within a long term strategic partnership framework aimed at building a sovereign capability shared by our two countries… We affirm our common will to undertake in 2013 a joint Future Combat Air System Demonstration Programme that will set up a co-operation of strategic importance for the future of the European Combat Air Sector. This work will provide a framework to mature the relevant technologies and operational concepts for a UCAS operating in a high threat environment. We will begin as soon as 2012 the specification of this demonstrator with a jointly funded contract under the industrial leadership of our national fighter aircraft industries (Dassault-Aviation in France and BAE Systems in the UK).”
Defense-Aerospace later reports that a EUR 10 million study will fund initial specifications, to define the nEUROn demonstrator’s follow-on platform. BAE and Dassault are already collaborating on France’s future medium/ hunter-killer UAV, and “Telemos” is based on BAE’s Mantis. The UCAS would feature the same players, but is likely to place Dassault in more of a lead role. BAE is building Taranis, but the Dassault-led nEUROn project has ambitious goals, and there are substantial advantages to a UCAS platform definition that makes it easy for other European countries to join. UK Prime Minister | Defense Aerospace.
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