Dassault Unveils NEURON Stealth Drone

[Armand2REP]

Press Release

Istres, France, January 20th, 2012 - The nEUROn, European UCAV technology demonstrator, has been officially presented to the representatives of the six participating countries by Mr. Charles Edelstenne, Chairman & CEO of Dassault Aviation.

Mr. Serge Dassault, Honorary Chairman of the company, as well as the representatives of the nEUROn industrial team - Saab (Sweden), Alenia Aermacchi (Italy), EADS-CASA (Spain), HAI (Greece) and RUAG (Switzerland) - attended this ceremony.

This presentation is a major milestone after five years of design, development, production, assembly and the first static tests of the nEUROn demonstrator. The first engine tests will be performed very soon, aiming at a first flight mid-2012. Afterwards, a complete sequence of test flights will take place during two years in France, Sweden and Italy. These tests will address flight qualities, stealthiness, air-to-ground weapon firing from an internal bay, integration into a C4i environment as well as the insertion of uninhabited platform in airspace.

The National Armament Director - or their representatives - of the six participating countries (France, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Greece and Switzerland) have been able to see for the first time this demonstrator that represents a triple "first" for the aerospace industries of European countries: first stealth combat aircraft, first UCAV developed in co-operation and first combat aircraft entirely designed and developed on a virtual plateau.

Launched at the initiative of the French Ministry of Defense in 2003, the nEUROn program has two aims:

- to develop the technologies critical to tomorrow's combat aircraft;
- to validate an innovative co-operation model, that optimizes the respective know-hows of the participating industries under the leadership of a single recognized and accepted main contractor.

During a brief speech, Mr. Charles Edelstenne said that it is now up to the Governments to think about a follow-up to nEUROn, in order to use at the best the experience gained during five years of development work.

 

[Dovah]

This is the first stealth drone in the world?

This would explain why they are closing the Rafale production lines.

 

[Yatharth Singh]

This is the first stealth drone in the world?

No. The U.S. RQ-170 Sentinel ,one which got captured by Irani`s, is also a stealth baby.

 

[Armand2REP]

RQ-170 isn't combat capable. X-47B is the only analog with that being 13 months ahead of NEURON.

 

[p2prada]

Way before this.

The X-45A and X-47A were the first. First flight for both happened in 2002 and 2003.

 

[Armand2REP]

Both those are cancelled.

 

[Yatharth Singh]

RQ-170 isn't combat capable. X-47B is the only analog with that being 13 months ahead of NEURON.

Question was for first stealth drone, not stealth UCAV.

 

[Dovah]

Question was for first stealth drone, not stealth UCAV.

No, I meant UCAV. .

 

[p2prada]

Both those are cancelled.

If you are talking about operational stealth drones then there are none. nEURON is yet to fly. At the same time there are plenty of other equivalents like MiGs SKAT and some Chinese system they are readying as well which are yet to fly and so is BaEs Taranis. The Brits have flight tested the BaE Raven in 2004.

Let's give credit where it is due.

 

[Armand2REP]

If you are talking about operational stealth drones then there are none. nEURON is yet to fly. At the same time there are plenty of other equivalents like MiGs SKAT and some Chinese system they are readying as well which are yet to fly and so is BaEs Taranis. The Brits have flight tested the BaE Raven in 2004.

Let's give credit where it is due.

Niether MiG nor China has built stealth drone demonstrators. BAE is still in ground testing and lacks funding to launch a full scale programme. Lets give credit where it is due, NEURON and X-47B are the only real game in town.

 

[Skull and Bones]

What's the current status of Mig Skat?

Has it been flight tested?

 

[Armand2REP]

What's the current status of Mig Skat?

Has it been flight tested?

It was cancelled. Russia is in no position to take on such a project. They can't even make good tactical drones.

 

[Godless-Kafir]

Nice new stealth drone, looks awesome..


Notice: We appreciate if its good, thats not what we can say for some foreign members.

 

[p2prada]

Niether MiG nor China has built stealth drone demonstrators. BAE is still in ground testing and lacks funding to launch a full scale programme. Lets give credit where it is due, NEURON and X-47B are the only real game in town.

Haha! Then we will talk about Neuron after it is in service, until then it is the same as the X-45. Let's see when Neuron flies, shall we.

I am willing to bet Taranis will fly before Neuron. They were scheduled to fly it in October 2011.

It was cancelled. Russia is in no position to take on such a project. They can't even make good tactical drones.

Russia is currently working on projects that France cannot even think of. New nuclear submarines, ships, new ICBMs, new aircraft (PAKFA , PAKDA and MRTA), an entire GPS equivalent constellation of satellites, new tanks etc. Like I said, give credit where it is due. No need to sit on the non existent high horse.

Btw, SKAT was canceled has been transferred to Sukhoi or at least the project is. Considering we are building a prototype of Aura it makes sense to believe the Chinese are ahead. The Chinese showed the Dark Sword in 2006 and the Combat Eagle a little while later, all models. But we know they are up to something.

Finally, we can't compare the X-47B to the Neuron at all. They are not even in the same class. Neuron is in the same class as BAE Taranis, MTOW of around 6 tons compared to Taranis's 8 tons. The X-47B will be as big as the F-16 with a payload of 2 tons internally. The MTOW of X-47B is over 20 tons and is powered by the same engines as the F-15/16. The X-47C will exceed the Rafale in range, payload and of course technology.

Aura is also in the 15 ton class, heavier than the LCA, and is expected to enter service in 2018. So, at more than twice the weight compared to both Neuron and Taranis.

Another important point I wanted to make. Both Dassault and BAE have claimed their respective projects are technology demonstrators and are not going into service. So, that's another little point that needs to be kept in mind. A 400Kg payload is useless after all. The American X series aircraft are also technology demonstrators and won't be seeing service.

So, the only UCAV claimed to be built for operational service is India's AURA. :cool2:

 

[Payeng]

^^ Iran also have some Stealth UCAV program going by the name Sofreh Mahi, and with the hijack of the American drone they might have learned a thing or two more.

Sofreh Mahi in flight

 

[p2prada]

The Iranian one is a model and not the actual UCAV. They are yet to build one.

The Swedes tested out their UCAVs as well. None of them of the actual scale.

 

[Payeng]

^^ Yet seems one step ahead of India.

 

[p2prada]

^^ Yet seems one step ahead of India.

Hardly. It is just that we like to jump to the moon on our very first try. We have the resources to splurge on that. Of course there is no guarantee it works. However we know ADE does have the experience in UAVs to pull it off. Neuron is pretty much France's first try in building a low observable aircraft. It is the same for Sweden as well, but I wouldn't go placing Iran at the same level.

However there is reason to believe that even if Aura sees induction in IAF before other contemporary analogues around the world, it will be less capable in technologies that are not yet mature in India, like RCS reduction and engine.

 

[pankaj nema]

All UAVs UCAVs can be shot down by attack helicopters having air to air missiles
and of course by Air defence arty

The real war time utility of UAV and UCAVin a dense air defence battle field is yet to be seen

The taliban in Afghanistan has zero air defence arty

 

[p2prada]

All UAVs UCAVs can be shot down by attack helicopters having air to air missiles
and of course by Air defence arty

The real war time utility of UAV and UCAVin a dense air defence battle field is yet to be seen

The taliban in Afghanistan has zero air defence arty

The Russians claimed 90% of the cruise missiles fired over Afghanistan and Iraq could be countered using only Mig-31s. All subsonic cruise missiles and UAVs can be engaged by any fighter in the air. The trick is finding one.