SN06493.pdf — page 21

21 Overview of military drones used by the UK armed forces 
them to operate in contested airspace when necessary.”78 This 
capability does not yet exist.  
The UK is jointly funding a study to explore unmanned combat air 
system options with France since France is looking to replace its Rafale 
fleet around the same timeframe as the UK will need to replace 
Typhoon: around 2030.  
The initial agreement was made at the 2010 Lancaster House Summit. 
At the 2012 summit they agreed to jointly fund a study with BAE 
Systems and Dassault Aviation. A £120 million contract was 
subsequently placed In November 2014 to begin a Future Combat Air 
System (FCAS) Feasibility Phase study.79 Each nation will provide 
additional national funding of £40 million.  
The purpose of the FCAS study is to explore “concepts and options for 
the potential collaborative purchase of an unmanned combat air system 
(UCAS).” The study will focus on the development of concepts for an 
operational system and the maturation of key technologies that will be 
required for a future operational UCAS.80 The study is expected to be 
completed at the end of 2016.  
Both BAE Systems and Dassault Aviation have developed UCAS 
demonstrator prototypes for the UK and French Governments 
respectively. BAE Systems81 has developed the Taranis demonstrator 
programme was formally unveiled in July 2010 and made its maiden 
flight in Australia in 2013. Dassault Aviation in France has developed the 
Neuron UCAV demonstrator which had its maiden flight in December 
2012 and is expected to complete flight testing towards the end of 
2015.82 Both are prototype systems and neither is intended to enter 
production. 
Tom Fillingham, Director Future Combat Air Systems at BAE Systems, 
has described UCAS as revolutionary rather than evolutionary. He 
suggests that what will differentiate future UCAS from the unmanned 
aircraft of today will be survivability. This is not just being difficult to 
detect on radar but also to have a significant chance of surviving 
complex hostile scenarios. This requires increasing the level of autonomy 
though, he adds “it is imperative that a human remains in the loop for 
all key decision making actions.” He describes the new and emerging 
technologies required to support such an aircraft, for example highly 
secure networks and associated high-capability communications links: 
what he calls ‘system of systems’ integration.  
                                                                                             
78  Defence Committee, Remote Control: Remotely Piloted Air Systems – current and 
future UK use, 25 March 2014, HC 772 2013-14, Ev 1 
79  Plus industrial partners. The six industrial partners are: BAE Systems, Dassault 
Aviation, Thales France, Selex ES, Rolls-Royce and Safran. 
80  “Preparing for future combat aerospace”, BAE Systems, 5 November 2014 
81  In partnership with the MOD and with Rolls-Royce, QinetiQ and GE Aviation. 
82  Dassault Aviation is leading a six nation consortium consisting of Alenia Aermacchi 
(Italy), EADS CASA (Spain), Hellenic Aerospace Industry (Greece), RUAG 
(Switzerland), Saab (Sweden) and Thales (France). “France completes testing of 
Neuron UCAV”, Jane’s Defence Weekly, 11 March 2015. Further information on 
Neuron is available from Dassault Aviation.