Europe's new attack reconnaissance drone is approaching its maiden flight
May 2024: The Eurodrone program, an unmanned attack reconnaissance vehicle, successfully completes the Preliminary Design Review (PDR), which is an important milestone in its development.
This programme, led by Airbus Defense and Space as prime contractor, was implemented in cooperation with the Organization for Joint Armaments Cooperation (OCCAR) and representatives from four customer countries, namely France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
Based on the PDR, the Eurodrone's initial design is now mature enough to move to the detailed design stage.
This progress is based on a series of technical evaluations, including wind tunnel testing to validate the aerodynamic configuration, and a comprehensive design evaluation to demonstrate operational capabilities.
With the successful completion of the PDR, the Eurodrone program is now progressing towards the Critical Design Review (CDR).
This next phase will complete the system architecture and design, representing the last major step before production.
The Airbus Defense and Space facility in Manching, Germany is set to be the final assembly and ground testing site for the Eurodrone.
The first flight is scheduled to take place next year, before first deliveries in 2028 under a 60-year long-term contract.
The Eurodrone will be used first by the German Air Force with 21 drones, the French Air and Space Forces with 12 drones, the Italian Air Force with 15 drones, and the Spanish Air Force with 12 drones.
Eurodrone is a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) that has versatile capabilities and can be adapted to mission requirements.
This platform is very suitable for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance target acquisition (ISTAR) missions or also homeland security operations.
Regarding its characteristics, the Eurodrone has a length of about 16 metres, a wingspan of 26 metres, and a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 11,000 kg, with a payload capacity of 2,300 kg.
The Eurodrone is equipped with a turbofan engine at the back. The flight speed is about 500 km/h and the maximum flight altitude is 13,700 metres.
Eurodrones can be equipped with a variety of high-precision guided weapons, both missiles and smart bombs.
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