Spain has taken is first concrete step towards joining the pan-European military unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) programme with the cabinet approving an initial instalment to cover set-up costs.
In doing so it will join France, Germany, and Italy in the development of a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UAV that is hoped to offer a European alternative to the US- and Israeli-built platforms, like the Reaper or Hermes, that are currently in use.
A government official said on 10 August that the move will enable Spain to implement the start of a programme that “responds to the operative needs of the armed forces for an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance [ISR] capacity”.
Source: IHS Jane’s 360