MUNICH, Germany, June 19 (UPI) -- Three aerospace companies are calling for a European medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle program they would coordinate.
The companies for the vehicles are Cassidian, Dassault Aviation and Alenia Aermacchi.
Cassidian is a subsidiary of EADS while Alenia Aermacchi is part of Finmeccanica.
"Such a joint program would support the capability needs of European armed forces while optimizing the difficult budgetary situation through pooling of research and development funding," they said in a joint news release.
"With a new development, critical requirements around the certification of drones, allowing their safe passage and operation in European air space, would inherently be built into the program from the onset."
They said a European program for development of the UAVs would guarantee European independence in the management of information and intelligence gathered by the aircraft.
Such a development program, they said, would also foster technology development and sustain industry employment.
"EADS Cassidian, Dassault Aviation and Finmeccanica Alenia Aermacchi declare their readiness to coordinate on such a program supporting the security needs of our European governments and armed forces," the companies said.
