Britain, France launch feasibility study for joint military drones

FRANCE: Britain and France on Wednesday charged two major defence contractors with a two-year feasibility study over a joint military drone project, hailed as "the future of combat aerospace in Europe".

The British and French government tasked BAE Systems and Dassault Aviation with the study following a political agreement reached at the Farnborough air show earlier this year.

The contract to carry out the joint study is worth 150 million euros ($187 million, £120 million) and will be supplemented by joint Franco-British government funding worth 100 million euros over the same period.

"Co-operation between France and the UK is seen as the optimum way to progress a UCAS (Unmanned Combat Air System) solution, while supporting both governments' intentions for closer defence ties," said the two firms in a joint statement.