Washington is expected to grant permission for sale of unarmed Reapers to France by the end of the year.
Eventually, France wants to equip itself with surveillance and combat MALE US capable of hitting its enemies by surprise and safely, as the United States does with the Reaper / Predator, equipped with Hellfire missiles.
In order to avoid getting trapped by the ongoing debate in the United States on the use of armed UAS, Paris has formally asked Washington early 2013 for permission to acquire the Reaper unarmed, which will then be “Frenchified” so that the French Air Force retains its autonomy to carry out its operational missions.
The French Ministry of Defence understands that this will be will be much easier to obtain than for an armed unmanned aircraft.
The request is currently being considered by the American Air Force. Washington should be able to give an answer to Paris towards the end of the year, or even early 2014, once US congress approval has been obtained. “The procedure takes about a year,” a source close to the dossier explained to the Tribune.
In any case, the French Air Force, which has always argued in favour of the American Reaper purchase, hopes that the delivery of the first examples will take place from “2016, and even earlier than that” to use them quickly on the African theatre, said the Air Force. “The Reaper corresponds well to the expressed needs of the French Air Force”, a source close to the dossier confirms.
Source: La Tribune