The UK and France significantly advanced their joint defence efforts on 31 January with the signing of a series of defence co-operation agreements, covering air, land, sea, and space.
British Prime Minister David Cameron, left, and French President Francois Hollande signed a series of defence co-operation agreements on 31 January, including: a GBP120 million future unmanned combat air vehicle feasibility study (mock-up pictured). (PA Photos)Signed by British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande, the agreements include: a GBP120 million (USD197.6 million) future combat air system (FCAS) joint feasibility study; confirmation of a joint order for the FASGW(H)/ANL helicopter-launched anti-ship missile; British Army testing of the French VBCI 8x8 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV); and a GBP10 million contract for mine-countermeasure (MCM) unmanned underwater vessels (UUVs).
The FCAS study will expand the previous 18-month Anglo-French unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) preliminary work, signed in 2010 as part of the Lancaster House agreements, into a full two-year feasibility study, led by BAE Systems in the UK and Dassault Aviation in France.
