Airbus Defence and Space, as the prime contractor for the Eurodrone programme, has announced the successful completion of the Preliminary Design Review (PDR). This significant milestone was achieved in collaboration with OCCAR and representatives from the four customer nations – France, Germany, Italy, and Spain – as well as the three Major Sub-Contractors (MSC), Airbus Defence and Space Spain, Dassault Aviation, and Leonardo.
The PDR confirms that the initial design of the Eurodrone has consistently matured, allowing the programme to proceed with the detailed design phase. The achievement is the result of various technical assessments and evaluations, including Wind Tunnel Testing to validate the aircraft’s aerodynamic configuration, overall design to ensure demonstration of operational capability, and the validation of a fully representative Digital Twin. The Eurodrone programme has benefited from both physical and digital design philosophies from the very beginning.
Building on the knowledge gathered thus far, the Eurodrone programme will now enter a new phase to reach the Critical Design Review (CDR), which will represent the final step and closure of the architecture and system design.
Jean-Brice Dumont, Head of Air Power at Airbus Defence and Space, said, “Performing the Preliminary Design Review for the development of Eurodrone represents an important step forward for this key European defence programme. It shows a real joint effort and collaborative spirit from all industrial partners and the Customer community to ensure European sovereignty and independence in this critical segment of unmanned long endurance ISTAR capability.”
Equipped with cutting-edge technology, the Eurodrone is designed to become a crucial pillar of future combat air systems. It will provide an indispensable capability to facilitate international conflict prevention and crisis management, ensuring operational superiority for the participating nations, particularly in Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions.
The successful completion of the Preliminary Design Review marks a significant step forward for the Eurodrone programme, highlighting the collaborative efforts of the industrial partners and customer nations involved. As the programme progresses towards the Critical Design Review, it aims to strengthen European sovereignty and independence in the critical segment of unmanned long-endurance ISTAR capabilities.
