Article Posted on : - Jul 22, 2011

Weighing in at over 5 tonnes, IAI’s Heron TP air vehicle will serve as the basis for the new MALE UAV that Dassault Aviation will deliver to the French forces in 2014. Photo: IAI

PARIS (BNS): The French Defence Ministry is planning to procure a new MALE UAV system for the Air Force by 2014, the MoD announced Wednesday.

On July 20, a meeting took place between the Ministerial Investment Committee, Gerard Longuet, Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs to open negotiations with Dassault Aviation for the delivery of a new MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) UAV for the Air Force.

Dassault Aviation, in cooperation with the Israeli company IAI, is offering a modified and evolved version of the Heron TP airframe.

This acquisition will replace the current UAV system operated by French forces.

Drones, or remotely-piloted aircraft, have become an essential capacity for any defence organisation. Their endurance ensures the continued monitoring of operational theaters without any risk to human life.

Their broad range of missions allows the collection of all kinds if intelligence, and the targeting of objectives. Their communication system shortens the decision-making loops, and their stealth design reduces their vulnerability.

The Defence White Paper has defined Drones as one of the five strategic functions which it is essential for defence and security forces to master.