Nov 7, 2011 By Sabine Siebold and Sarah Marsh/Reuters - AviationWeek.com
BERLIN - Germany will decide next year which drones to purchase for its Bundeswehr military forces, a senior defense source told Reuters, which suggests it is refusing to bow to pressure from EADS for a quick decision to order its Talarion product.
The source said the Bundeswehr would continue leasing Israeli Heron drones until 2014. It could decide to order the EADS Talarion drones but could also opt for another model already available on the market and with a proven track record, the source added.
A separate source familiar with the matter said last week EADS was pushing for a quick decision from Germany on ordering Talarion drones and offering to waive penalties for a cut to orders for the Eurofighter jet if it did so.
EADS has spent years developing the Talarion unmanned aerial vehicle at its own expense in the hope of winning an order from the project’s instigators France, Germany and Spain. Yet the Talarion will likely only be operational from 2018.
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