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| Neuron UCAV. Photo: Alenia Aermacchi |
[Avionics Today 08-27-2015] Europe’s Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) Neuron has successfully concluded its flight test campaign in Italy, achieving all established goals and allowing the program to move forward. The Neuron is the European full-scale technological demonstrator for the UCAV, which was developed by an industrial team led by Dassault Aviation with the collaboration of Finmeccanica-Alenia Aermacchi, Saab, Airbus Defence and Space, RUAG, and HAI.
The aircraft has been deployed at the Italian Air Force’s Decimomannu Air Base, in Sardinia, Italy, where it has fulfilled a series of important operational tests. In particular, the 12 highly sensitive sorties have verified the characteristics of Neuron’s combat capability, its low radar-cross section, and low infrared signature during missions flown at different altitudes and flight profiles and against both ground-based and air radar threats.
Starting this summer, the Neuron will begin its next testing phase, which will be run in Sweden, at the Vidsel Air Base, where flight teams will test the aircraft’s low observability and use of weapon delivery from the aircraft’s Weapon Bay.