Spanish tech center to test Eurodrone’s propulsion system

MILAN — Airbus has hired a Spanish technology center to help with ground testing of the Eurodrone’s propulsion system , marking the first step toward the platform’s eventual test flight.

As part of the deal, the National Institute of Aerospace Technology, or INTA, which is backed by the Spanish Defence Ministry, will carry out ground trials to enable the integration and growth of the Eurodrone propulsion system.

The Eurodrone program , meant to produce a European-made large UAV, involves the governments of Italy, Spain , Germany and France as well as contractors Leonardo, Dassault Aviation, and Airbus Defense and Space.

“As part of its programme work package, Airbus Defense and Space in Spain will deliver to INTA the power plant — consisting of engine, nacelle and engine mounting system, assembled in its facilities in Seville,” a company spokesperson wrote in an email to Defense News on Nov. 9.

The Eurodrone program has encountered significant delays and challenges since it began almost a decade ago. Nevertheless, the effort received more than $107 million in funding from the EU-run European Defence Industrial Development Program in 2021.

Last year, in a survey carried out by the cross-border journalism cooperative Investigate Europe, the other 23 European Union members were asked if they would consider purchasing the Eurodrone once it became operational. None of the 10 governments that responded showed much or any inclination to join the program or purchase the future platform, the journalism organization found.

“Four member states reject the project, six are waiting to decide and from the Portuguese Ministry of Defense came a similar response to those from the Netherlands and Denmark, that there was no expression of interest from the armed forces,” the survey found.

Also last year, France reaffirmed its intention to buy a total of six Eurodrones, four of which are already on order. The government’s aim is to gradually replace its Reaper drone fleet, set to retire after 2030.

As of now, the Eurodrone is not expected to enter service before 2030.

Editor’s note: This story was updated on Nov. 10 to reflect that the group of Eurodrone countries includes Italy, Spain, Germany and France.

Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo was a Europe correspondent for Defense News. She covers a wide range of topics related to military procurement and international security, and specializes in reporting on the aviation sector. She is based in Milan, Italy.

米兰——空中客车公司聘请了一家西班牙技术中心，协助进行 Eurodrone 推进系统的地面测试，这标志着该平台最终试飞的第一步。

作为协议的一部分，由西班牙国防部支持的国家航空航天技术研究所（INTA）将进行地面试验，以实现 Eurodrone 推进系统的集成和发展。

欧洲无人机计划旨在生产欧洲制造的大型无人机，该计划涉及意大利、西班牙、德国和法国政府以及承包商莱昂纳多、达索航空和空中客车防务与航天公司。

“作为其项目工作包的一部分，空客防务与航天公司西班牙分公司将向INTA交付动力装置——该装置由发动机、短舱和发动机安装系统组成，并在其位于塞维利亚的工厂组装完成，”该公司发言人在11月9日发给《防务新闻》的电子邮件中写道。

欧洲无人机计划自近十年前启动以来，遭遇了严重的延误和挑战。尽管如此，该计划在2021年仍从欧盟主导的欧洲防务工业发展计划中获得了超过1.07亿美元的资金。

去年，跨境新闻合作组织“调查欧洲”（Investigate Europe）开展了一项调查，询问欧盟其他23个成员国是否会考虑在“欧洲无人机”（Eurodrone）投入运营后购买。该新闻组织发现，在作出回应的10个成员国政府中，没有一个表现出加入该项目或购买这一未来平台的意愿。

调查发现，“四个成员国拒绝了该项目，六个成员国仍在等待决定，葡萄牙国防部的回应与荷兰和丹麦的回应类似，即武装部队没有表示出任何兴趣。”

去年，法国重申了购买共计六架欧洲无人机的计划，其中四架已下单。法国政府的目标是逐步替换其“死神”无人机机队，该机队计划于2030年后退役。

目前来看，Eurodrone预计要到2030年才能投入使用。

编者按：本文已于 11 月 10 日更新，以反映 Eurodrone 国家集团包括意大利、西班牙、德国和法国。

伊丽莎白·戈斯林-马洛曾任《防务新闻》欧洲通讯员。她的报道涵盖军事采购和国际安全等广泛领域，尤其擅长航空领域的报道。她常驻意大利米兰。