Safran Landing Systems has signed a contract with Airbus Defence and Space to provide the wheels and brakes system work package for the Eurodrone, Europe’s new MALE RPAS (Medium Altitude Long Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft System) reconnaissance drone.
The machine is an ongoing project between Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, led by Airbus. The aim is to create the continent’s first true Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) drone by the end of the decade. The drone will be able to fly missions in the same airspace as other aircraft.
French company Safran was selected to design, develop, qualify, and produce the work package, including wheels, brakes, and hydro-mechanical equipment, and to supply the braking control module.
Eurodrone is powered by two General Electric turboprop engines mounted in a pusher configuration behind the wing. The drone’s dual engines allow for maximum speeds of 310 mph (500 kph) and for flight times that can be as long as 40 hours.
Safran Electronics & Defense has also won a contract from Leonardo to develop and supply the high-performance Euroflir 610 electro-optical (optronic) system for the Eurodrone. The Eurodrone program is designed to outfit France, Germany, Spain, and Italy with a highly autonomous medium-altitude reconnaissance drone, thus bolstering the European Union’s operational and industrial sovereignty.
The first prototype production should start in 2024, with a first delivery planned by the end of the decade.
