PARIS (Reuters) - A European arms procurement agency representing France, Germany, Spain and Italy signed a long-awaited contract with Airbus for the development of a new European military drone, Airbus said on Thursday.
The contract with procurement agency OCCAR includes the development and manufacturing of 20 Medium Altitude, Long Endurance systems and 5 years of initial in-service support.
Eurodrone will generate more than 7,000 high-tech jobs and strengthen European industrial sovereignty, Mike Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, said in a statement following a signing that coincided with the outbreak of conflict in Ukraine after lengthy delays in negotiations.
Airbus represents Germany and Spain, with Dassault Aviation involved for France and Leonardo for Italy.