The French Minister, Gerard Longuet, informed journalists at the Paris Air Show that France and Britain had delayed the decision on a joint programme to develop next-generation drones.

The Minister said that the lack of an armed drone in France’s military arsenal for the next three to six years meant it could need an interim solution. He said that it would take almost a year to start working together.

Meanwhile, Dassault Aviation of France and BAE Systems of Britain revealed that the joint programme dubbed Telemos (mythical Cyclops) would be ready in five years. Telemos will be a medium-altitude, long-endurance combat drones for the armed forces of both nations. The programme was formalised through a Franco-British cooperation treaty signed in November last year. BAE is the lead contractor for the project which is estimated to cost €1 billion.