EADS Talarion
Twinjet MALE UAV designed for European reconnaissance, cancelled in 2015.
The EADS Talarion was a twin-engine, medium-altitude, long-endurance drone developed by EADS for European military reconnaissance, intelligence, and surveillance missions. Its name comes from the Talaria, the winged sandals of the Greek god Hermes. The project ended in 2015.
A mockup of the Talarion first appeared at the 2009 Paris Air Show. The drone had a wingspan of about 28 meters and was powered by two jet engines, with avionics supplied by Saab. French parliamentary estimates put total program costs at roughly €2.9 billion, covering around 12 to 15 systems, each with three drones.
In May 2011, Turkish Aerospace Industries led a group of Turkish suppliers in signing a memorandum of understanding with EADS Cassidian to join the project. Turkey had already developed and built its own MALE drones, gaining experience with larger, long-endurance platforms. A similar Turkish project, the TAI Anka, debuted at the 2010 Farnborough Airshow and entered service with the Turkish Air Force in 2013.
In December 2011, Cassidian and Alenia agreed to cooperate on MALE drones, including the Talarion. By February 2012, Cassidian announced plans to wind down the program after failing to secure financial backing from potential buyers, citing stronger competition in the European drone market and budget pressures.
In 2010, EADS expressed frustration that France, Germany, Spain, and the UK had not committed to buying the Talarion. Other countries were potential buyers: Turkey was expected to order it, Canada considered it for unmanned surveillance, and in January 2013 South Korea was suggested as a possible customer, alongside the now-cancelled BAE Telemos. The Telemos was also seen as a likely competitor for future European deals.
The Talarion had no crew, a length of 10 meters, a wingspan of 28 meters, and a height of 3.45 meters. Its empty weight was 3,200 kilograms, with a gross weight of 10,000 kilograms. Maximum speed was 630 km/h, range 1,700 kilometers, and service ceiling 15,000 meters.
Quick Facts
- Aircraft Type
- MALE UAV
- Manufacturer
- EADS and TAI
- Introduction
- 2018 (planned)
- First Flight
- 2015 (planned)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Talarion's development was revealed with a mockup displayed at the 2009 Paris Airshow. It was a twin-jet engined UAV with a wingspan of approximately 28 m, and its avionics were to be built by Saab. French parliamentary estimates placed total programme costs at around EUR 2.9 billion, covering 12–15 systems of three UAVs each.
In May 2011, Turkish Aerospace Industries led a group of Turkish suppliers in signing a memorandum of understanding with EADS Cassidian for the Talarion programme. Turkey had already developed and produced MALE UAVs of its own, including the similar TAI Anka, which debuted at the 2010 Farnborough Airshow and entered service in 2013. In December 2011, Cassidian and Alenia announced cooperation on MALE UAVs including the Talarion. However, in February 2012, Cassidian announced plans to wind down the programme after failing to secure financial backing from potential buyers, citing stronger competition and budget pressures.
In 2010, EADS expressed frustration that home nations—France, Germany, Spain, and the UK—were not committed to buying the Talarion. Other potential customers included Turkey, Canada (for a surveillance competition), and South Korea (as an alternative to the RQ-4 Global Hawk or the cancelled BAE Telemos). The Telemos was considered likely to compete with the Talarion for future European deals.
Reader's Guide
The Talarion was notable as a European attempt to develop a homegrown MALE UAV for military reconnaissance, intelligence, and surveillance, but it ultimately failed to secure sufficient financial backing from potential buyers. The project's cancellation in 2015 reflected broader challenges in the European UAV market, including stronger competition and budget constraints. The involvement of Turkish Aerospace Industries and Alenia highlighted efforts to build multinational partnerships, but these did not overcome the lack of committed orders from key nations such as France, Germany, Spain, and the UK. The Talarion's legacy is that of a promising design that never reached production, overshadowed by rival platforms like the TAI Anka and the cancelled BAE Telemos. Its specifications—twinjet, 28 m wingspan, 10,000 kg gross weight, and 15,000 m service ceiling—placed it in the same class as other MALE UAVs such as the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator and IAI Eitan, but without the operational history those aircraft achieved.
Did You Know?
- A mockup of the Talarion was displayed at the 2009 Paris Airshow.
- The Talarion project was discontinued in 2015 after failing to secure financial backing from potential buyers.
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