Rolls-Royce and Snecma to pursue joint combat aircraft engine development

The UK Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with Rolls-Royce and Snecma to undertake studies on developing the United Kingdom and France's next-generation combat aircraft engines, it was announced on 30 July.

A joint venture, Rolls-Royce Snecma Ltd, which was founded in 2001, will carry out the studies. Snecma is part of the Safran group, which also includes Sagem and Turbomeca.

Rolls-Royce and Snecma have also signed a separate agreement with Dassault Aviation and BAE Systems "to explore concepts and technologies as part of the Anglo-French Future Combat Air Systems [FCAS] Demonstration Programme Preparation Phase contract", according to a statement from Rolls-Royce.

This second agreement follows on from an Anglo-French defence accord, signed on 24 July, for the first phase of a demonstration programme for an unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), termed FCAS.