EADS Deutschland GmbH Cassidian and Finmeccanica’s Alenia Aeronautica S.p.A. said they signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly investigate the potential cooperation in medium altitude long endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAV).

The two companies aim to strengthen their technological know-how to establish a leading role in the UAS market.

Under this agreement, Cassidian and Alenia Aeronautica will analyze the requirements expressed by each of their respective governments in the UAS sector with the objective to create a strategic partnership and to expand their global UAS market share.

Alenia Aeronautica and Alenia Aermacchi CEO Giuseppe Giordo, who is also responsible for Finmeccanica’s Aeronautics Sector, said: “The signing of this agreement is important for Alenia Aeronautica because it allows us to collaborate with a capable player in the sector of UAS, favoring the growth of our ability to design, build, integrate and support a complex system for the global market, both civil and military. The UAS sector has a strategic importance for the future of Alenia Aeronautica’s programs and we are convinced that this agreement will allow us to become even more competitive in this quickly expanding market.”

Bernhard Gerwert, Cassidian CEO, said: “We look forward to investigate further collaboration with Alenia Aeronautica around a nextgeneration MALE UAS, like for instance, the Talarion which is of outmost importance for Europe’s military aviation industry. It will fulfill government security missions and commercial applications which cannot be implemented with current solutions and their derivatives.”

Talarion is the European program for a next-generation MALE UAS to fill the requirements initially placed by France, Germany and Spain for future unmanned long endurance surveillance and reconnaissance missions. The first flight of the prototype is scheduled for 2015 with first series deliveries starting in 2018.