France has launched an expanded demonstrator program, including an experimental unmanned combat air vehicle, in an effort to reinforce Europe's mastery of key technologies for combat aircraft, space systems and other applications. The most significant item in the program will be a 300-million-euro ($348-million) effort to design and build a low-pbservable UCAV that could help pave the way for a European effort in this area. The aircraft would be capable of firing weapons from internal stores and flying in a network-centric environment, and would feature breakthrough technologies (see story p. 40). It would take to the air in 2008.
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