Wednesday, December 03, 2008

NEURON

IOC: 2011
Total Program's Cost: USD$480 million

Also Known As
UCAV

Origin
France
Greece
Italy
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland

Contractor/s
Dassault-Aviation
EADS
Finmeccanica
Saab

Description: The Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) program is aimed at developing technologies to enabled unmanned aerial platforms to effectively penetrate enemy air space either autonomously or guided with the additional capability to attack ground targets. EADS and Dassault Aviation, as the prime contractor, launched this program with the signing of a collaborative agreement in June 2004. In June 2004, Dassault announced that the UCAV demonstrator's name was NEURON.

NEURON will feature a GPS/INS based navigation system, data links, stealth features, complex carbon fiber structures, and an internal weapons bay. An Automatic Target Acquisition/Recognition (ATA/ATR) will be provided to the NEURON ensuring ground targets engagement capability. The UCAV demonstrator is expected to perform its maiden flight by 2011. If finally NEURON turns into a combat aircraft, it would achieve initial operational capability well beyond 2015.

The demonstrator program is worth €300 million to be funded jointly by the program partner countries. Greece joined this program in January 2003. Spain's EADS CASA joined the project in May 2005. As of June 2005, there are six countries partnering the UCAV program: France (EADS and Dassault); Sweden (SAAB); Greece (HAI); Italy (Alenia); Switzerland (RAUG); and Spain (EADS CASA).

In June 2005, Dassault Aviation awarded Thales a contract to develop the high-speed data-link for the Neuron demonstrator. In December the Swedish government decided to participate in the Neuron program through MSEK 750 in funding of which MSEK 600 were financed by Saab. The Neuron program received officially the green light by the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) in February 2006. The first demonstrator was priced at 405 million Euro with its maiden flight anticipated by 2011.

Specifications
Accommodation: Unmanned

Dimensions: Length 10 m, Wingspan 12 m

Weights: Max Weight 8,200 kg (18,078 lb), Min Weight 4,500 kg (9,921 lb)

News
Dassault Aviation AVE-D UCAV Demonstrator Completes First Autonomous Flight

nEUROn Begins Wind Tunnel Tests Campaign

Saab's SHARC Performs its First Autonomous Take-Off and Landing

France to Study Space-Based Ballistic Missile Warning System Feasibility

Sweden First to Join European UCAV Demonstrator Program

France Bets on Unmanned Combat Aircraft

Image Gallery

Notes
(*) lead contractor
IOC: Initial Operating Capability
FOC: Full Operating Capability
CEP: Circular Error Probable
Comm: Commissioning Date
Meters (m) Kilometers (km) Nautic Miles (nm) Inch (in) Yard (yd) Foot (ft) Millimeter (mm)
Pound (lb) Kilogram (kg) kN (KiloNewton) Ton (t)
Meters per Second (mps) Kilometers per Hour (kph) Knot (kt) Miles per Hour (mph)
Liter (l) Galon (gl)
Year (yr) Minutes (min) Second (sec)
Shaft-Horse-Power (shp)

Last Updated: Saturday, November 22, 2008

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