Eurodrone, duel between the Italian Avio Aero and the French Safran
On the Eurodrone there is a challenge between the Italian Avio Aero (with the new Catalyst engine) and the French Safran for the engine. The decision rests with the prime contractor Airbus. Facts, numbers and tensions
It is a challenge between the Italian Avio Aero (controlled by the American GE) and the French Safran for the engine of the Eurodrone.
Germany, France, Spain and Italy participate in the program for the unmanned aircraft Male Rpas, renamed Eurodrone, with their respective industries Airbus, Dassault and Leonardo.
“After the battle of the seas with the failure of the Fincantieri-Chantiers de l'Atlantique Stx merger, the battle of the skies breaks out between Italy and France. Avio Aero and Safran Helicoptèr are facing each other over the European tender for the Eurodrone engine [which is worth 500 million euros], ” Corriere della Sera recalled a month ago.
The choice rests with the prime contractor Airbus. The decision, expected in the spring and then in the summer, is now expected by December.
"Meanwhile, Avio Aero is the subject of unprecedented media attacks from beyond the Alps and also rebounded in Germany", explains CEO Riccardo Procacci to MF-Milano Finanza , "The thesis is that our Catalyst engine would not be European, because the The controlling shareholder is American, and therefore adopting it would entail strategic risks for the program and the countries involved. "
All the details.
THE EURODRONE PROGRAM
The European Male Rpas (Medium Altitude Long Endurance, Remotely Piloted Aircraft System) is a cooperation program launched five years ago by Airbus D&S, Leonardo Aircraft Division and Dassault Aviation.
It is a joint industrial-government initiative to respond to future European requirements and is supported by the governments of France, Germany, Spain and Italy.
The estimated value of the program is around 7 billion euros.
On 20 November, the OCCAR announced that the approval of the States participating in the program had been reached. On July 15 Occar signed the Grant Agreement for development , production and initial in-service support – expected to run for up to five years.
The current contract includes 20 Eurodrone systems, each of which will include three aircraft for a total of 60 twin-engine aerial platforms. Currently, Germany as the lead nation of the program has a contract for seven systems, while Italy has committed to five systems. Spain and France each target four Eurodrone systems.
This is how the Eurodrone program, already three years late: the first system was to be delivered in 2025, date moved to 2027. With its remotely piloted aircraft, the EU will not be forced to buy American or Israeli ones.
THE CHOICE OF THE ENGINE BETWEEN THE CATALYST AND THE ARDIDEN TP3
It therefore remains to untie the knot of the engine.
In fact, doubts still remain as to who will supply the Eurodrone's 120 total engines.
In this context, if Airbus Defense has solved most of the industrial practices, it has yet to complete the negotiations with General Electric (Ge) and Safran, the two groups competing for the Eurodrone engine.
The selection for the engine for the European Male drone will concern the Catalyst (proposed by Avio Aero, a subsidiary of General Electric) and the Ardiden TP3 (Safran Helicopter Engines).
According to La Tribune , Italy is putting pressure on Airbus to choose the Italian subsidiary of General Electric, Avio Aero, otherwise Rome could question its financial participation.
THE MEDIA CAMPAIGN AGAINST AIRPLANE
Moreover, this summer "the attack has started from the French and German newspapers: the accusation is that if Avio Aero wins, the EU money would go to an American company", as reported by the Corriere . "It would be shocking for European taxpayers to fund a non-European solution," Franck Saudo, CEO of Safran Helicopter Engines, told La Tribune . “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 (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) extraterritorial regulations. Which would mean that the four participating countries would have to ask for permission from the United States before they can export it.
And the Frankfurter Allgemeine : “The Safran-Zf engine would not have American components, unlike that of Avio Aero”.
THE POSITION OF AD PROCACCI
Accusations that Avio Aero sends 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, largely produced 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 reiterated to MF .
“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 highlighted in a hearing in the Chamber in the spring .
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/innovazione/eurodrone-duello-tra-litaliana-avio-aero-e-la-francese-safran/ on Fri, 17 Sep 2021 06:40:09 +0000.