A European drone by 2025? The View from Italy on EUROMALE

The French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs (IRIS) is one of the main independent European Think Tanks on geopolitical and strategic issues.

IRIS, a public-interest association created in 1991, is a French think tank on geopolitical and strategic issues. It is the only international think tank to have been set up as a totally private initiative in an independent approach. IRIS activities can be divided into four fields: research, organisation of events and meetings, publishing and training.

The Armament Industry European Research Group (Ares Group) was created in 2016 by The French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs (IRIS), who coordinates the Group. The aim of the Ares Group, a high-level network of security and defence specialists across Europe, is to provide a forum to the European armament community, bringing together top defence industrial policy specialists, to encourage fresh strategic thinking in the field, develop innovative policy proposals and conduct studies for public and private actors.Abstract:

In May 2015, Italy agreed with France and Germany the launch of a definition study for a weaponized MALE RPAS which would able to carry out both ISR missions, target acquisition and engagement. The contract was supposed to be
assigned to a consortium of European industries including Airbus, Dassault and Finmeccanica. However, as of May 2016, the industrial agreement had not yet been entirely defined. Despite this, it is possible to outline a de facto Italian way of doing European defence cooperation, which is the result of a common praxis and mindsets shared by national stakeholders, and underlies Italy’s approach to EUROMALE.

• Primary Source

IRIS: ARES – Armament Industry European Research Group http://www.iris-france.org/ares/

ESO: Background Information: Italy, France, Germany sign European drone project http://www.europeansources.info/record/italy-france-germany-sign-european-drone-project/

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