Jane Edwards
The U.K.’s defense ministry and France’s defence procurement agency have agreed to continue their partnership on a program that seeks to develop an unmanned system designed to detect and neutralize underwater improvised explosive devices.
Thales will collaborate with BAE Systems, SAAB, ASV Global and ECA Group to use first-stage designs to build an autonomous system under the second phase of the maritime mine countermeasures program between the U.K. and France, Thales said Thursday.
The companies will complete development work on the unmanned platform for evaluation by both countries’ naval forces.
Harriet Baldwin, U.K. minister for defence procurement, signed the agreement Thursday with Laurent Collet-Billon, general director of French procurement agency, at Euronaval exhibition in Paris.
