Article Posted on : - Dec 11, 2010

The French Espadon unmanned surface vehicle demonstrator, is a “drone-carrying drone” developed for future mine warfare missions. Photo: DGA

HENNEBONT (BNS): The French DGA armament agency (DGA) has launched the demonstrator of a naval surface drone at Hennebont, Morbihan, a media report said.

It was developed under a basic research contract awarded in July 2009 by DGA to an industry group comprising DCNS, Thales and ECA.

The Espadon (swordfish) is an unmanned surface vessel that is 17 meters long and displaces 25 tonnes. It is christened as Sterenn Du (black star in the local Breton language).

French Navy has plans to fit the vessel with a towed array sonar and small submarine drones by 2011.

The goal of this type of unmanned surface vehicle is to conduct minehunting operations over large stretches of the sea, both in the littorals and offshore, without endangering the lives of human crewmen, according to defense-aerospace website.

The French Navy and DGA will carry out the sea trials in 2011 and 2012 off the western tip of Brittany.

The Espadon programme is part of the over-arching Système de Lutte Anti-Mines Futur (future mine countermeasures programme, or SLAMF), and will allow the implementation of the latest developments in naval robotics to improve mine warfare capabilities, it said.