A drone to far, the German EuroHawk
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A drone to far, the German EuroHawk
Planned as a multi buy only one was purchased.
more here
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...museum-exhibit
The story of Germany’s Euro Hawk surveillance drone — a planned Europeanized version of the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk — has finally come to its sorry end. The ill-fated RQ-4E unmanned aerial vehicle is headed to a museum in the German capital, after plans to sell the one-off aircraft to Canada collapsed.
A report on the German-language Augen geradeaus! defense website confirmed that the final resting place of the Euro Hawk will be the Bundeswehr Military History Museum at Berlin-Gatow Airfield.
As it turned out, the Euro Hawk program was an unmitigated disaster. European aviation authorities repeatedly refused to certify the giant drone to fly over the continent. Fears that the unmanned aircraft could put civilian air traffic at risk in congested European airspace meant that European Aviation Safety Agency certification was only available for flights over unpopulated areas, and there was no guarantee that this would change in the near-term. With that in mind, the German military would not be unable to operate the aircraft from its own bases for either training purposes or operational missions.
Combined with major cost overruns and long delays, Berlin decided to scrap the program in 2013 after spending a total of $793.5 million. Amid the embarrassing fallout, the German Minister of Defense Thomas de Maizière defended his position under political pressure before stepping down from his position the same year.
A report on the German-language Augen geradeaus! defense website confirmed that the final resting place of the Euro Hawk will be the Bundeswehr Military History Museum at Berlin-Gatow Airfield.
As it turned out, the Euro Hawk program was an unmitigated disaster. European aviation authorities repeatedly refused to certify the giant drone to fly over the continent. Fears that the unmanned aircraft could put civilian air traffic at risk in congested European airspace meant that European Aviation Safety Agency certification was only available for flights over unpopulated areas, and there was no guarantee that this would change in the near-term. With that in mind, the German military would not be unable to operate the aircraft from its own bases for either training purposes or operational missions.
Combined with major cost overruns and long delays, Berlin decided to scrap the program in 2013 after spending a total of $793.5 million. Amid the embarrassing fallout, the German Minister of Defense Thomas de Maizière defended his position under political pressure before stepping down from his position the same year.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...museum-exhibit
They should just put all their newly developed stuff in some Egrett airframe and fly it optionally manned.
[QUOTE]With that in mind, the German military would not be unable to operate the aircraft from its own bases for either training purposes or operational missions.
/QUOTE]. (My bold italics)
So, they would be able to operate it then?
/QUOTE]. (My bold italics)
So, they would be able to operate it then?
NATO AGS is OK though? https://www.nato.int/nato_static_fl2014/assets/pdf/pdf_2016_07/20160627_1607-factsheet-ags-en.pdf
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_181534.htm?selectedLocale=en
Flying quite happily in European airspace
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_181534.htm?selectedLocale=en
Flying quite happily in European airspace
There is like a drone transit channel to enable them to pass through controlled airspace.
Another EADS grand idea that went nowhere. Always keen to engage with industry to help fund and develop the technical requirements, this was just another example of their inability to understand the true market needs. Anybody remember Mako? Or the Atlante UAV?
Most major airframe builders do the same - they're desperate for R&D contracts and occasional production runs to keep the profits flowing in. Same in Russia (and no doubt China) - loads of "concepts" every year some of which are lucky enough to attract the taxpayers dollar (Tempest anyone?)
