German KZO/Taifun UAV Taking Shape [Archive]

Kevin Brooks

January 14th 04, 04:48 PM

"robert arndt" > wrote in message
om...
> http://www.rheinmetall-detec.de/index.php?lang=3&fid=735

The German Federal Accounting Office on KZO in the January 2001 FLUG REVUE:
"At the end of an unusually long development period a number of serious
technical faults were manifest, despite the cost of the system having
doubled [from the 1992 estimate--KB]. These will lead to considerable
financial risks during procurement...the development results to date have
not adequately met the system performance requirements. A study indicated
that the probability of survival was so low that, when deployed, the stock
of drones could be exhausted after a single day's fighting. The decision by
France to withdraw from the project suggests that the military and
technological value of the new drone is low." To their French colleagues the
conclusions to be drawn from reviewing the project were clear. "The military
requirement for this drone ceased to be relevant ten years ago," is the curt
comment of the French." "

KZO development started in 1980 (as Brevel, IIRC), and the project got the
go-ahead for serial production in Dec 2001 (with the unusual caveat of
allowing the MoD to cancel the contract without penalty if the bugs
mentioned in the FAO report were not properly corrected). AFAIK, KZO has
*yet* to enter into service. Sounds like your vaunted German military
industry has been having quite a few problems in the UAV arena (which might
explain their reported interestin Predator B and Global Hawk).

Brooks

>
> Rob
>
> IOC 2005/6...