It is some distance from the account it recognizes the Department

Hervé Morin may have announced Tuesday to the Defence Committee of the Assembly the purchase of a few additional drones by the end of the year, including six used in the Canada, the reality is: enough money to fund the next generation of these unmanned aircraft widely used in modern conflicts. That meant to definitively give the France technological independence in this matter.

All confused, needs the law of military programming 2009-2014 has indeed provided only EUR 280 million for this position, according to our information. Three UAVs deployed in Afghanistan, the le pour opérationnelle des Et comme la priorité à le moyens condition for pour opérationnelle des Et comme la priorité à le moyens condition task of and as the priority à le moyens condition le means condition condition opérationnelle succession technology is limited to the minimum portion. "It is some distance from the account", it recognizes the Department.

A book would not suffice to tell the economic-administrative saga of military drones in France. Today, the delay was partially filled Israel or the United States, since the French army has an interim solution (snowy owl) built by EADS and deployed recently to monitor the Taliban. But it must prepare the suite from 2015. For this, EADS offers the "Talarion" (from the name of the winged Sandals of the god Hermes), through cooperation between Paris, Berlin and Madrid. Invoice amount: EUR 1.5 billion for development ($ 500 million by country), more 90 to 100 million by system - a system consists of three drones, plus all that is required around to steal.

In the face, Dassault and Thales have indicated that their solution - based on the Heron TP of the Israeli IAI - always cost 700 million, according to sources close to the record. The invoice includes the development and production of three systems, with also three drones by system. Third thief, General Atomics offers its Predator, but its offer price is not known.

Strategic subject

Whatever the solution adopted, it should be a priori double the budget provided. "This is probably the crux of the problem", confirms an involved industrial. Hervé Morin must capture the subject in one of the last monthly departmental committees of investment of the year. Mr Yves Vandewalle (UMP) and Jean-Claude Viollet (PS) focused on the problem, and in a few weeks will present a report to the commission for the defence of the Assembly, accompanied by proposals.

Lack of sufficient resources, it is still possible to extend the life of the snowy drones, and refer the subject to the Act of programming 2015-2020. Then choose one of the three solutions on the table and negotiate with the industrial retained pay until 2015. That is just the same.

Suddenly, at EADS, is expected not to a contract before end of 2010, at best. But the subject is sufficiently strategic for CEO Louis Gallois has decided to continue financing his own offices for studies yet 10 months, which will cost EUR 45 million. Unless Nicolas Sarkozy - keen to revive the Franco-German industrial cooperation - sharp things. The next bilateral Summit of November could provide the opportunity of an advertisement for the Talarion.