Meanwhile EADS tries to save the furniture

A deaf lobbying battle raging for several weeks in the French political and military establishment. A manoeuvre, Charles Edelstenne. The pattern of Dassault Aviation is active to block what, for him, see heresy: the purchase by the American drones France, these unmanned aircraft which are currently one of the most dynamic segments of the market of weapons.

Lack of an alternative French or European available in time and at a reasonable cost, the Minister of defence, Hervé Morin, indeed asked the Directorate General for armaments (DGA) to make contact with General Atomics, the manufacturer of the famous Predator, to study the conditions of any purchase "off-the-shelf". What would be a setback undeniable for the manufacturer of the Rafale, allied with Thales on this dossier, but also for EADS, its big competitor.

How has it happened In Male drones (for "medium altitude long-endurance"), the French army is currently only three machines, when the United States make it fly hundreds, armed or not, to hunt down the Taliban. Baptized "Snowy" and adapted the Israeli IAI platform, these three machines were delivered by EADS in 2008, with years of delay, as so often in aeronautics. Although insufficient, aircraft are satisfied on the ground.

The problem is that these snowy owl should be initially as an interim solution, the time EADS to design and book in Paris, Berlin and Madrid a drone of new generation 100 European. The project code name: Talarion.

Las, after years of efforts, the DGA is still not convinced of its technical feasibility. Above all, to EUR 1.3 billion, the development is beyond the financial reach of the three countries. To put the pill, EADS proposed to carry out the project in two phases, to spread the invoice, with first delivery in 2015 ("Les Echos" from April 1). Without success.

Denouncing a project untenable, Dassault and Thales grow their side a competing solution (code name "MDS", for "Male UAV system"), and the two manufacturers ensure that it can be available as early as 2013 and much cheaper.

National sovereignty

After having weighed the advantages and disadvantages of the two offers, the DGA presented a report to Hervé Morin about a month ago in a departmental Committee of investment. Conclusion to the Minister: Talarion or MDS are enough evidence at this stage to take over from the snowy owl. Where the order to study carefully the runway Predator, which has been proven and be available quickly a priori.

It has not taken more that Dassault mobilizes its relay, wielding the argument of national technological sovereignty. Co-author of a report on the subject, the MP PS Jean-Claude Violet is not far from sharing the same sentiment: "We buy a Predator to weld with the snowy owl, and then to maintain two parallel fleets of small quantity cost." "Either we buy a Predator in a long-term perspective, and then runs the risk of abandonment of national and European sovereignty," he says. When contacted, the manufacturer denied to campaign.

Meanwhile, EADS tries to save the furniture. The Group intends to finish his studies on Talarion to not lose the benefit moreover of two years of work. But as there is very little chance that the project lead on a contract for development, at least in the near future, its leaders have made a firm proposal early may at the DGA on 4 snowy additional.

What the French aviators see a good look at them at any time fear of losing one of their three. "We urgently need some additional vectors", argues a high ranking officer. Provided to be patient, because it takes two years to deliver it, time to process technical obsolete and redo all tests.

Remains to know what the drones will become once the budgetary trade-offs made. Response to the fall, perhaps.