source fas.org
September 9, 2011 W. Alibrandi, Forecast International – defpro.com
NEWTOWN, Conn. | France's Microturbo produces the TRS 18 for Italy's Selex Galileo, the leading producer of aerial target drones in Europe. The Mirach drone was selected for Britain's Combined Aerial Target Services program, which has consolidated all drone procurement to come from a single contractor. This alone will sustain production of the Mirach through the forecast period, although France and Italy also are big purchasers of the drone.
The Mirach 100 continues to be one of the most popular subsonic target drones produced in Europe, but there will eventually be a replacement. Italy has shown interest in a more capable aerial target, though it has been meeting its needs with improved versions of the existing Mirach. The timing of this replacement is unknown, but the new drone will undoubtedly offer higher performance than the current Mirach 100. The engine choice for this new drone is anybody's guess, but since higher performance normally suggests higher thrust, the TRS 18 may not fit the bill.
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