Diehl Defence and Safran Sign Cooperation Agreement to Co-develop Next-generation Light Modular Air-to-Gound Munitions

Diehl Defence and Safran Electronics & Defense announced at the International Paris Air Show the signing of an agreement for the joint development of a new family of light modular air-to-ground munitions to equip all types of platforms in operational theaters.

This Franco-German cooperation in the defence industry is fully aligned with the construction of a European defence policy, building on the Franco-German Treaty on Cooperation and Integration signed in Aachen on January 22nd, 2019. This new family of weapons will leverage the combined expertise of Diehl Defence and Safran Electronics & Defense in air-to-ground systems.

Drawing on each manufacturer’s areas of excellence and technological building blocks, these new modular and scalable products will significantly enhance the companies’ portfolios while minimizing investment. These weapons will feature reduced development cycles and optimized performance, benefiting from the expertise and state-of-the-art production tools of Diehl Defence and Safran Electronics & Defense.

The modular payloads will be specifically designed to avoid collateral damage when engaging fixed or mobile targets in complex or urban environments. Target engagement will also be highly accurate, thanks to optronic capabilities supported by inertial navigation and integrated artificial intelligence processing.

Dr. Harald Buschek, Chief Program Officer of Diehl Defence, commented: “The collaboration between our two companies not only underscores our constant commitment to advancing defence capabilities, but also highlights the importance of European cooperation within the defence sector. By uniting our strengths, we aim to set new standards in precision, efficiency and safety for the armed forces."

Alexandre Ziegler, Head of Defense Global Business Unit, Safran Electronics & Defense, said: “This partnership perfectly showcases the ability of European defence industries to collaborate in developing tomorrow’s solutions. By combining the complementary expertise of Diehl Defence and Safran, we are strengthening Europe’s strategic autonomy and providing our armed forces with modular, high-performance solutions. Above all, this joint initiative allows us to meet the evolving needs of armed forces by equipping them with innovative, high-performance solutions for current and future challenges.”

These new products, ranging from loitering munitions to off-board effectors and tactical air-to-ground weapons, will feature standardized interfaces to optimize and facilitate integration on a wide variety of platforms, including retrofits. This initiative represents a major step forward for a more autonomous, agile and innovative European defence ecosystem.