Eurodrone, Airbus chooses the Avio engine and disappoints Safran
Airbus chooses Avio Aero to supply the engine and propeller solution for the Eurodrone. Beating for the French Safran. All the details
The Italian Avio Aero beats the French Safran: the Catalyst will be the engine of the Eurodrone.
“Following a competitive tender and an extensive technical analysis phase, Airbus selected the Italian Avio Aero, with its engine and propeller solution called Catalyst, to power the Eurodrone remotely piloted aircraft system”. This was reported in a press release .
Germany, France, Spain and Italy participate in the program for the remote piloted armed aircraft Male Rpas with their respective industries Airbus, Dassault and Leonardo.
“The European tender for the motorization of the Eurodrone is worth 500 million euros,” Corriere della Sera recalled last year. The choice rested with the prime contractor Airbus. The decision, expected last spring, therefore comes one year late.
“Safran Helicopter Engines took a slap in the face,” comments the French newspaper La Tribune .
“This selection is a decisive step forward,” comments Airbus. "And it will ensure that the Eurodrone program can proceed in line with the times, costs and specifications set by our customers."
On 24 February, Airbus and the Joint Organization for Co-operation in Arms (Occar) signed the global Eurodrone contract. The contract includes the development and production of 20 systems and 5 years of initial in-service support.
All the details.
THE CHOICE BETWEEN AVIO AERO'S PROPOSAL AND SAFRAN'S
In the end, Airbus Defense chose the engine of the Italian Avio Aero (subsidiary of the American General Electric) to drive the Eurodrone.
The selection for the engine for the European Male drone concerned the Catalyst (proposed by Avio Aero) and the Ardiden TP3 (Safran Helicopter Engines).
THE REASONS FOR CHOOSING AIRBUS
As Jean-Brice Dumont, Airbus Defense and Space's Head of Military Aircraft explains, identified the Catalyst “as the best solution based on superior performance, lower development risk, better economy in service and greater growth potential.
According to the Airbus manager, “In line with customer needs, the Catalyst will offer a truly European solution, thus helping to strengthen Eurodrone's overall role as a facilitator of strategic autonomy”.
THE CATALYST ENGINE
The Catalyst is a flight-tested engine, entirely developed and manufactured in Europe.
"As well as the Eurodrone program, – reports the note – this engine is conceived as 100 per cent ITAR-free (International Traffic in Arms Regulation), thus guaranteeing autonomy on export possibilities and avoiding the need for further requirements before authorization for the 'export".
If not, it would mean that the four participating countries would have to ask for permission from the United States before they can export it.
“The key aspects in the selection of Eurodrone suppliers are competitiveness, performance, the ability to meet the demanding delivery schedule and the ability to meet demand in service,” explains the Airbus note.
THE POLEMICS OF THE FRENCH PRESS
Already last year the French press had started to attack the Avio engine.
"If the Avio Aero engine were chosen, as hoped for by Italy, it would be subject to US extraterritorial regulations" wrote Les Echos .
According to the French press, the engine proposed by Avio developed for Textron Aviation's Cessna Denali could be subject to ITAR extraterritorial regulations.
Accusations that Avio Aero sent back to the sender.
“They are instrumental accusations, true lies to discredit us. Both Airbus and Occar know our credentials well and have not raised any issues. The Italian institutions are also with us. The Catalyst is entirely European, produced largely in Italy where pre-Covid we generated a turnover of around 2 billion euros, with over 4 thousand employees ”, the CEO of Avio Aero Riccardo Procacci had reiterated last year at MF .
“Ever since the EU started funding military programs, the French have been trying to keep us out by demanding that companies controlled by foreign capital be excluded from the funds. An unreasonable thesis, already rejected in the appropriate forums, which we fear is being reinvigorated in these days ".
THE EFFECTS ON THE NATIONAL CHAIN
“The choice of the engine by Airbus would translate into“ a victory for Avio Aero but also a victory for Italy in this competition ”. "With significant industrial repercussions of the program in support of the national supply chain", Procacci had highlighted in a hearing in the Chamber last year .
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/innovazione/eurodrone-airbus-sceglie-il-motore-avio-e-scarta-la-francese-safran/ on Fri, 25 Mar 2022 15:25:17 +0000.