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Dassault nEUROn
General characteristics
Length	9.5 meters	- feet - inches
Wingspan	12.5 meters	- feet - inches
Loaded weight	6,000 kilograms	- pounds
Cruising speed	< Mach 0.8 - km/h	- mph / - kt
Service ceiling	- meters	- feet
Endurance	- hours
Unmanned aerial vehicle

nEUROn (formerly spelled "Neuron") is the "European UCAV technology demonstrator". This delta wing stealth Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) project is the final phase of the French Dassault Aviation LOGIDUC 3-step stealth "combat drone" programme. Until June 2005, the UCAV nEUROn design was a full scale evolution of the twin-engine AVE-C Moyen Duc (2001) tactical UAV whose appearance was inspired by the stealth bomber Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit. The full scale replica unveiled at the Paris Air Show 2005 revealed the original design was revised to a "less ambitious" single-engine delta. The nEUROn development, originally planned by Dassault as "AVE Grand Duc", evolved to an European cooperation including Swedish Saab, Greek EAB, Swiss RUAG Aerospace, Spanish EADS CASA and Italian Alenia. As a "technology demonstrator", a reduced number of units will be produced to explore new operational concepts for a future generation of autonomous stealth fighter aircrafts that will be produced in 2020 or 2025. However Dassault plan to primarily use the data collected by the demonstrator to produce derived UCAVs. The French maker states the nEUROn's Adour engine (tuned from the SEPECAT Jaguar) will be replaced in the production version by a more powerful, specific, engine based on Snecma's M88 from the Dassault Rafale.^[1]. According to the DGA, nEUROn test flights will be proceeded in France, Sweden and Italy in early 2010.^[2] Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Image File history File links NEUROn-CG-concept-112005-dassault. ... UAVs in a hangar An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is a pilotless aircraft, controlled either remotely or flown autonomously, used for a number of missions, including reconnaissance and attack roles. ... J-UCAS Boeing X-45A UCAV technology demonstrator The Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) or combat drones is the name of a new class of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). ... The delta-wing is a wing planform in the form of a triangle. ... J-UCAS Boeing X-45A UCAV technology demonstrator The Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) or combat drones is the name of a new class of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). ... Dassault Aviation is a French aircraft manufacturer of military, regional and business jets. ... The Dassault LOGIDUC -sometimes spelled Logiduc in French and LogiDuc in English- (Logique de Développement dUCAV, French for Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle development solution) is an autonomous industrial program launched in 1999 by the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation in view to develop its UAV design capacities. ... The Dassault LOGIDUC -sometimes spelled Logiduc in French and LogiDuc in English- (Logique de Développement dUCAV, French for Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle development solution) is an autonomous industrial program launched in 1999 by the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation in view to develop its UAV design capacities. ... Unmanned Aerial Vehicle over Iraq. ... The B-2 Spirit, made by Northrop Grumman, is a multi-role stealth aircraft able to drop conventional and nuclear weapons. ... The Dassault LOGIDUC -sometimes spelled Logiduc in French and LogiDuc in English- (Logique de Développement dUCAV, French for Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle development solution) is an autonomous industrial program launched in 1999 by the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation in view to develop its UAV design capacities. ... For other uses, see Saab (disambiguation). ... The Hellenic Aerospace Industry (HAI or EAB from its Greek initials Elliniki Aeroporiki Biomihania) is the most important Greek aerospace company. ... The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS N.V. (EADS) is a large European aerospace corporation, formed by the merger on July 10, 2000 of Aérospatiale-Matra of France, Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA (CASA) of Spain, and DaimlerChrysler Aerospace AG (DASA) of Germany. ... Alenia Aeronautica (formerly Aeritalia) is an aerospace engineering corporation in Italy, a subisidary of Finmeccanica. ... RAF Jaguars Adour The Adour jet engine is a two-shaft turbofan developed by Rolls-Royce/Turbomeca, a joint subsidiary of Rolls-Royce (UK) and Turbomeca (France). ... The SEPECAT Jaguar is an Anglo-French ground attack aircraft in service with the Royal Air Force and several export customers, notably the Indian Air Force. ... The M88 is an afterburning turbofan engine developed for the Dassault Rafale omnirole fighter by Snecma. ... The logo of the Dassault Rafale program. ... The Délégation Générale pour lArmement (General Delegation for Weaponry), or DGA, is the French government agency which conducts development and evaluation programs for weapon systems for the French military. ...

Program goals

The program has three stated goals:

1. To maintain and develop the skills of the participating European aerospace companies' design offices, which will not see any other new fighter programs before 2030 now that the Rafale, Eurofighter and JAS 39 Gripen projects are all complete or well underway.
2. To investigate and validate technologies that will be needed by 2015 to design next-generation combat aircraft.
3. To validate an innovative cooperation process by establishing a European industry team responsible for developing next-generation combat aircraft.

The Rafale is a French twin-engine delta-wing multirole fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. ... Official Eurofighter logo The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine multi-role canard-delta strike fighter aircraft, designed and built by a consortium of European aerospace manufacturers through Eurofighter GmbH which was formed in 1986. ... The Saab JAS 39 Gripen (Griffin or Gryphon) is a fighter aircraft manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab. ...

Platform

nEUROn full scale replica unveilled by Dassault at the Salon du Bourget 2005

As a UCAV (Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle), nEUROn will be significantly larger and more advanced than other well-known UAV systems like the MQ-1 Predator, with ranges, payloads and capabilities that approach those of manned fighter aircraft. Although the project is not yet closely defined, illustrations and statements by the consortium partners indicate that the nEUROn is envisioned as a competitive system with the American J-UCAS program's Boeing X-45C or Northrop-Grumman X-47B. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3264x2448, 3416 KB) Summary Dassaults nEUROn UAV. Picture by Michel ZACHARZ Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3264x2448, 3416 KB) Summary Dassaults nEUROn UAV. Picture by Michel ZACHARZ Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Paris Air Show (Salon International de lAéronautique et de lEspace, Paris-Le Bourget) is an international trade fair for the aerospace business. ... The MQ-1 Predator is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) which the U.S. Air Force describes as a MALE (medium-altitude, long-endurance) UAV system. ... Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems, or J-UCAS, is the name for the joint U.S. Navy/U.S. Air Force unmanned combat air vehicle procurement project. ... The Boeing X-45 UCAV (Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle) is a concept demonstrator for a next generation of completely autonomous fighter aircraft, developed by Boeings Phantom Works (a Skunk Works-like division acquired through McDonnell Douglas). ... The Northrop Grumman X-47A Pegasus is a demonstration Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle. ...

Indeed, Saab's February 9, 2006 release notes that nEUROn will be a demonstrator measuring 10m long by 12m wide and weighing in at 5 tons. This is roughly the size of a Mirage 2000 fighter. The aircraft will have unmanned autonomous air-to-ground attack capabilities with precision guided munitions, relying on an advanced stealth airframe design to penetrate undetected. Another feature being contemplated is the ability to control squad flight in automatic mode from an advanced fighter like the Rafale or JAS 39 Gripen platform, grouping the nEUROns and controlling the group in a manner similar to many combat Real-time strategy (RTS) computer games. A Mirage 2000 of the Indian Air Force The Mirage 2000 is a French-built multi-role fighter manufactured by Dassault Aviation. ... The logo of the Dassault Rafale program. ... The Saab JAS 39 Gripen (Griffin or Gryphon) is a fighter aircraft manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab. ... Real-time strategy, often abbreviated RTS, is a genre of computer games characterized by being wargames which take place in real-time, where resource gathering, base building, technology development and direct control over individual units are key components. ... This article needs a complete rewrite for the reasons listed on the talk page. ...

Project history, developments

Official 1:48 scale replica of the nEUROn by Dassault on its stand

In 1999, Dassault Aviation launched its LOGIDUC stealth UCAV program, which gave birth to the Dassault AVE-D Petit Duc that flew in July 2000 as the first stealth UAV in Europe, and to the Dassault AVE-C Moyen Duc (2001). Dassault changed the third phase name "Grand Duc" - a full scale advanced version of the Moyen Duc - to the more European sounding nEUROn, as the French project was joined by European partners to reduce its development cost. Great Britain didn't join because it was already involved with an American similar program, neither Germany who desisted officially because the country was unable to afford the financial participation.^[3] Image File history File links NEUROn-official-scale-model-148-dassault. ... Image File history File links NEUROn-official-scale-model-148-dassault. ... The Dassault LOGIDUC -sometimes spelled Logiduc in French and LogiDuc in English- (Logique de Développement dUCAV, French for Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle development solution) is an autonomous industrial program launched in 1999 by the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation in view to develop its UAV design capacities. ... The Dassault LOGIDUC -sometimes spelled Logiduc in French and LogiDuc in English- (Logique de Développement dUCAV, French for Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle development solution) is an autonomous industrial program launched in 1999 by the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation in view to develop its UAV design capacities. ...

During the 2003 Paris Air Show, French Minister of Defence Mme Michèle Alliot-Marie announced a major agreement signed between the French groups EADS France, Dassault Aviation and Thales. The agreement covered a joint-venture to "realise a new unmanned military technology that covers all future activity in combat and strategic reconnaissance aeronautics" i.e. LOGIDUC's phase three, "Grand Duc". This is a list of aviation-related events from 2003: Events February 1The Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates, killing all seven occupants. ... Michèle Alliot-Marie Michèle Jeanne Honorine Alliot-Marie (born 10 September 1946) is the French Minister of Defence, and the first woman to lead a major French political party. ... The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS N.V. (EADS) is a large European aerospace corporation, formed by the merger on July 10, 2000 of Aérospatiale-Matra of France, Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA (CASA) of Spain, and DaimlerChrysler Aerospace AG (DASA) of Germany. ... Dassault Aviation is a French aircraft manufacturer of military, regional and business jets. ... The Thales Group (Euronext: HO) is a global electronics company serving aerospace, defence, and information technology markets worldwide. ...

EADS leads a HALE (High Altitude, Long Endurance) UAV project.

Meanwhile, the French defence procurement agency, DGA, acting as the program executive on behalf of the participating countries, has entrusted development of the first nEUROn UCAV demonstrator to Dassault Aviation and its European partners. Sub-contracts have been made with the French industrial firms Thales and EADS France and also with five European firms, Saab (Sweden), EAD (Greece), Alenia (Italy), RUAG Aerospace (Switzerland) and EADS CASA (Spain).

Chief project manager Thierry Prunier comes from Dassault Aviation, and the deputy project managers are Mats Ohlson of Saab and Ermanno Bertolina of Alenia. There is a single link between the executive agency (DGA) and the prime contractor (Dassault), and it will be up to the executive agency to coordinate with the government agencies of the participating countries. It will be up to the prime contractor, meanwhile, to coordinate the work with the other industries.

After Spain joined the programme in early February 2006 (Belgium could join later), work breakdown among the European industrial partners was planned as follows:^[4]:

• Dassault Aviation: (launched European project in June 2003)

Master builder

Overall architectures & design

Flight control system

Final assembly

Global testing (static & flight)

Dassault claims 50% of development and is responsible for the standalone LOGIDUC programme. The nEUROn (2010) will be the third Dassault stealth UAV prototype following the AVE-D Petit Duc (2000) & AVE-C Moyen Duc (2004). The nEUROn project replaces the LOGIDUC final phase AVE Grand Duc.^[5][6] Image File history File links Flag_of_France. ... Dassault Aviation is a French aircraft manufacturer of military, regional and business jets. ... The Dassault LOGIDUC -sometimes spelled Logiduc in French and LogiDuc in English- (Logique de Développement dUCAV, French for Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle development solution) is an autonomous industrial program launched in 1999 by the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation in view to develop its UAV design capacities. ... The Dassault LOGIDUC -sometimes spelled Logiduc in French and LogiDuc in English- (Logique de Développement dUCAV, French for Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle development solution) is an autonomous industrial program launched in 1999 by the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation in view to develop its UAV design capacities. ...

• Saab: (joined in December 22, 2005)

Overall design

Equipped fuselage

Avionics

Fuel system

Flight testing

Saab claims 25% of development and is also the coordinator for the other Swedish corporations involved.^[7] Image File history File links Flag_of_Sweden. ... For other uses, see Saab (disambiguation). ...

• Alenia Aeronautica: (joined in mid-2005)

Weapon firing system

Air data system

Electrical system

Flight testing

• EADS CASA: (joined in February 7, 2006)

Wing

Ground control station

Data-link integration

• EAB: (joined in January 11, 2006)

Rear fuselage

Tail pipe

Integration bench.

• RUAG: (joined in mid-2005)

Wind tunnel tests

Weapons carriage

• Thalès: (joined in June 14, 2005)

Data-link (STANAG 7085 compliant)

Command interface

• EADS France: (joined in June 2003)

Undisclosed

Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... Alenia Aeronautica (formerly Aeritalia) is an aerospace engineering corporation in Italy, a subisidary of Finmeccanica. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Spain. ... The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS N.V. (EADS) is a large European aerospace corporation, formed by the merger on July 10, 2000 of Aérospatiale-Matra of France, Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA (CASA) of Spain, and DaimlerChrysler Aerospace AG (DASA) of Germany. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Greece. ... The Hellenic Aerospace Industry (HAI or EAB from its Greek initials Elliniki Aeroporiki Biomihania) is the most important Greek aerospace company. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Switzerland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_France. ... The Thales Group (Euronext: HO) is a global electronics company serving aerospace, defence, and information technology markets worldwide. ... STANAG is the NATO abbreviation for Standardization Agreement, which set up processes, procedures, terms and conditions for common military or technical procedures between the member countries of the alliance. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_France. ... The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS N.V. (EADS) is a large European aerospace corporation, formed by the merger on July 10, 2000 of Aérospatiale-Matra of France, Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA (CASA) of Spain, and DaimlerChrysler Aerospace AG (DASA) of Germany. ...

Funding

The nEUROn logo was designed after the Grand Duc delta shape.

The contract is valued at €405 million, and allows industry to begin a three-year system definition and design phase with related low-observability studies. This phase will be followed by the development and assembly phase, and by a first flight in 2010. It is planned that the 2-year flight-test program (2010-2012) will entail about 100 sorties, including the launch of a laser-guided bomb tentatively scheduled for 2012. The initial €400 million budget was increased by €5 million in 2006 due to the addition of a modular bomb bay including a designator and a laser-guided bomb. Image File history File links Neuron_project_logo_nov_2005. ... Image File history File links Neuron_project_logo_nov_2005. ... The Dassault LOGIDUC -sometimes spelled Logiduc in French and LogiDuc in English- (Logique de Développement dUCAV, French for Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle development solution) is an autonomous industrial program launched in 1999 by the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation in view to develop its UAV design capacities. ...

On February 2006, DGA had announced the France will provide €202.5 million, half of the program's €405 million ($480 million) budget, while the remaining funds will be supplied by the other participating member nations. In December 2005, the Swedish defence ministry reported the national share would be €75 million, of which €66 million would be financed by Saab AB. The cost of Spain's participation to the program is estimated at €35.5 million, spread over the 2007-2012 period.

Derived production UCAV unit cost is estimated by Dassault to €25 million.

Specs

The French Defence Ministry unveiled the general specs in a press release on February 9, 2006.^[8]

• Length: 9.5 meters
• Wingspan: 12.5 meters
• Normal loaded weight: 5 tons
• Maximum loaded weight: 6 tons
• Stealth: radar & infrared
• Subsonic flight domain: < Mach 0.8
• Mono-engine (tuned Rolls-Royce/Turboméca Adour / Snecma M88 base)
• Dual bomb bay
• Guided armaments carriage and firing abilities
• Piloted from a distant ground station control
• C3R link (Command, Communication, Control & Intelligence)

RAF Jaguars Adour The Adour jet engine is a two-shaft turbofan developed by Rolls-Royce/Turbomeca, a joint subsidiary of Rolls-Royce (UK) and Turbomeca (France). ... The M88 is an afterburning turbofan engine developed for the Dassault Rafale omnirole fighter by Snecma. ...

Media links

• video: nEUROn (AVE Grand Duc version) promotional featurette, June 11, 2005 (Dassault Aviation)

• video: nEUROn, AVE-C & AVE-D design and flight, Dassault Activities (Dassault Aviation)

• gallery: nEUROn (single-engine version) official gallery by Dassault (Scale model replica photographies & CG concept artworks)

• scale model: nEUROn's official 1:48 scale model by Dassault

External links

• Dassault nEUROn page

• Defense-Aeropace.com (Feb 10/06) - Contract Launches Euro UCAV Demonstrator. Collects various facts about the program.

• AFCEA Signal Magazine (September 2005) - nEUROn Gains Altitude. Excellent article.

• nEUROn programme (Paris Air Show 2005) - Europe’s UCAV Demonstrator Neuron Will Be a Stealth Platform (European Security, June 10, 2005)

• nEUROn project (Paris Air Show 2004) - nEUROn : Europe’s UCAV Demonstrator (European Security, June 10, 2004)

Related releases

• Unveilling the nEUROn Europe’s UCAV demonstrator by Dassault (June 11, 2005)

• The European technology demonstrator nEUROn, February 9, 2006, French Defence Ministry

• Saab (Feb 9/06) - Important player in nEUROn

• Spanish Government (Dec 30/05) - Agreement with France for a Demonstrator of an Unmanned Combat Aircraft

• Press release: nEUROn, First intermediate synthesis review (12th of Sept., 2006)

• Thales joins Neuron UCAV programme (European Security)

• Drones in France. An official report by the French Ministry of Defence about the national history of drones.

• DARPA - J-UCAS Program. Includes the Boeing X-45C and the Northrop-Grumman X-47B.

• See all Defense Industry Daily coverage of the J-UCAS program and its platforms.

• Airforce Technology - X-45 J-UCAV Joint Unmanned Combat Air System, USA

• Airforce Technology - X-47 Pegasus Naval Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV-N), USA

• Northrop Grumman Analysis Center, 3rd Joint-Industry Forum (Feb 16/05) - Joint Unmanned Combat Air System and US Military Transformation (7.2 MB, PDF Format). Excellent presentation that explains the interest in UCAVs and the effect of removing the pilot on the ability to provide persistent coverage of an area.

• Defense Industry Daily (Jan 24/06) - British CORAX UAV Joins UCAV Trend.

• Dassault Aviation - Logiduc program. The precursor to the nEUROn. The Petit Duc ("European Scops Owl"), codenamed AVE-D, was the first stealth unmanned aircraft to fly in Europe on July 18th 2000. It was followed by the AVE-C Moyen Duc ("Long-eared Owl") in 2001. The third and final version Grand Duc ("Eurasian Eagle Owl") would become the multinational nEUROn.

• Saab - SHARC Program. A precursor to its work on nEUROn in many ways, and one of the main reasons it has a leading role alongside Dassault.

Binomial name Otus scops (Linnaeus, 1758) The European Scops Owl (Otus scops), also known as the Eurasian Scops Owl or just Scops Owl, is a small owl. ... Binomial name Asio otus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) is a species of owl which breeds in Europe, Asia, and North America. ... Binomial name Bubo bubo (Linnaeus, 1758) The Eurasian Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo) is a species of horned owl resident in much of Europe and Asia. ...

References

Related content

Related development

• 2000: Dassault AVE-D Petit Duc (stealth UAV)
• 2001: Dassault AVE-C Moyen Duc (stealth UAV)

Comparable aircraft

• 2003: Northrop-Grumman X-47B Pegasus
• 2006: Lockheed Martin Polecat
• 2006: EADS Barracuda
• 2007: Boeing X-45

Image File history File links Flag_of_France. ... The Dassault LOGIDUC -sometimes spelled Logiduc in French and LogiDuc in English- (Logique de Développement dUCAV, French for Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle development solution) is an autonomous industrial program launched in 1999 by the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation in view to develop its UAV design capacities. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_France. ... The Dassault LOGIDUC -sometimes spelled Logiduc in French and LogiDuc in English- (Logique de Développement dUCAV, French for Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle development solution) is an autonomous industrial program launched in 1999 by the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation in view to develop its UAV design capacities. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 2003: Events February 1The Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates, killing all seven occupants. ... The Northrop Grumman X-47A Pegasus is a demonstration Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 2006: // January 19 - Jet Airways announces its purchase of Air Sahara, creating the largest domestic airliner in India. ... The Lockheed Martin Polecat is an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle developed by Lockheed Martins Advanced Development Programs division in Palmdale, California. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Spain. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 2006: // January 19 - Jet Airways announces its purchase of Air Sahara, creating the largest domestic airliner in India. ... The Barracuda demonstrator at the ILA 2006. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 2007: // January 1 – Adam Air Flight 574, a Boeing 737, disapears in Indonesian airspace with 102 people on board. ... The Boeing X-45 UCAV (Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle) is a concept demonstrator for a next generation of completely autonomous fighter aircraft, developed by Boeings Phantom Works (a Skunk Works-like division acquired through McDonnell Douglas). ...

See also

• Dassault LOGIDUC
• European defence procurement