French defence supplier Thales and UK company Autonomous Devices have announced an agreement to jointly develop a drone-based electronic warfare solution for naval and land forces.
Under the partnership, Thales will draw on its electronic warfare expertise to develop a payload capable of performing both electronic support, to detect and identify threats, and electronic attack, such as jamming.
Autonomous Devices will be responsible for designing a new-generation drone with high manoeuvrability and long endurance capabilities. The drone-based solution is currently undergoing initial testing, which is set to continue throughout the year.
The companies stated that recent conflicts have confirmed the growing importance of both defensive and offensive electronic warfare.
They highlighted that the drone can be deployed to detect anti-ship missiles and initiate electronic countermeasures, thereby improving ship survivability while minimising ordnance.
Marie Gayrel, Vice President in charge of the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance activities at Thales, described it as a, "technological game-changer for the armed forces, providing a reliable passive capability to counter modern threats".