UK and France invest in military drone development

A £1.5 billion commitment between France and the UK to develop military drones will guarantee hundreds of advanced engineering jobs

A £1.5 billion commitment between France and the UK to develop military drones will guarantee hundreds of advanced engineering jobs.

The project, known as the Future Combat Air System (FACS), will give the UK and France the most advanced vehicle of its kind in Europe, securing high-end engineering jobs and expertise in both countries with full scale development of prototypes starting in 2017. It will build a prototype of the next generation of unmanned drone aircraft, which can conduct surveillance and fire missiles.

The project was discussed at the bi-annual UK-France Defence Summit, which saw prime minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande meet to discuss how they can work together to better fight terrorism.

UK companies including BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce, along with Dassault Aviation, Safran and Thales of France, are taking part.

"The UK and France are proud allies. Our meeting here in Amiens is an opportunity to discuss how we can work even more closely together to keep our people safe," said Cameron. 

"I am convinced that the UK's membership of the EU gives us greater security and greater capacity to project power globally.

"In an ever-more uncertain world, we gain from our membership of these international organisations," he added.

Defence secretary Michael Fallon, said: “Brimstone missile would be a significant option for the upgrade of their Tiger attack helicopters.

“The sale of this British made precision weapon would deliver investment in the UK economy and help protect both our shared interests around the world.”