The European Defence Agency today welcomed the announcement by France and the United Kingdom that they would examine together a project on technology for lightweight radars suitable for use on small platforms, such as UAVs and missiles, which could be quickly brought to the European Defence Agency for development.
This is one of several possible joint R&T projects which the European member states participating in the Agency have agreed to develop, under the EDA’s auspices.
The announcement was made following a meeting between the UK Secretary of State for Defence John Reid and French Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie.
“The EDA warmly welcomes this announcement, and looks forward to it becoming the first new ad hoc R&T project under the Agency. Initiatives of this type are sorely needed”, said EDA Chief Executive Nick Witney.
“It is particularly encouraging to see this prompt response to the call by EU leaders at their informal meeting in Hampton Court, last October, for greater spending and more collaboration on defence R&T”.
“The Agency stands ready to play its part in the success of this initiative, which would also be a real boost to the EDA’s wider work on UAVs”, he added.
