EADS Talarion

Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) UAV

France | 2018

"The Talarion UAV was unveiled by EADS at the 2009 Paris Airshow as a European alternative to the American Global Hawk system."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 06/22/2022 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

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With the growing need for more capable surveillance-minded Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) flying about in uncontested airspace, EADS of France/Netherlands has put forth preliminary work on the Talarion, a Medium-Altitude, Long Endurance (MALE) UAV intended to compete in the same category as the jet-powered Northrop Grumman RQ-4 "Global Hawk" and similar types. A mock-up was unveiled at the 2009 Paris Airshow though the product has since found few takers and supporters - save for Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) which has already successfully sold its TAI "Anka" MALE UAV to the Turkish Army, actively evaluating the aircraft as of this writing (December 2013). A first flight for the Talarion is tentatively scheduled for sometime in 2015 with official introduction in 2018 planned. At one point, the program was also supported by Italian concern Alenia but this came to naught. The Talarion receives its name from the mythical winged sandals worn by the Greek God Hermes.

Per the presented 2009 Paris Air Show mockup, the Talarion is given a shape not unlike the competing Global Hawk. The fuselage utilizes a well-streamlined shape with a bulbous nose assembly housing avionics. Payloads are held in a belly bay. Wings are straight appendages and mid-mounted along the sides of the fuselage. The powerplant is embedded at the rear of the fuselage and aspirated through a top-mounted intake ahead, and at the base of, the single vertical tail fin. There are a pair of low-mounted horizontal tailplanes at the rear. The Talarion would be powered by a turbofan engine of unknown make and model, though an installation providing the needed thrust at the operating altitudes required. Reports indicate that the Talarion might, indeed, showcase two engines instead of one as in the Global Hawk (a Rolls-Royce branded turbofan engine). Its wingspan is a reported 92 feet.

The Talarion would remain unarmed (as with the Global Hawk) and serve in the intelligence-gathering role - a vital service in any war.

As it stands, the program has not evolved as expected, largely due to a lack of interest even amongst European powers. The Talarion may still compete in several upcoming UAV programs but its future remains in doubt - particularly with the glut of UAVs arriving to market in the coming years.

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Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the EADS Talarion Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) UAV.

2 x Turbojet engines (assumed).
Propulsion

391 mph
630 kph | 340 kts
Max Speed

49,213 ft
15,000 m | 9 miles
Service Ceiling

9,942 miles
16,000 km | 8,639 nm
Operational Range

City-to-City Ranges
Operational range when compared to distances between major cities (in KM).

NYC

LON

PAR

BER

MOS

TOK

SYD

LAX

NYC

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the EADS Talarion Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) UAV.

0
(UNMANNED)
Crew

32.8 ft
10.00 m
O/A Length

91.9 ft
(28.00 m)
O/A Width

11.3 ft
(3.45 m)
O/A Height

7,055 lb
(3,200 kg)
Empty Weight

22,046 lb
(10,000 kg)
MTOW

Design Balance
The three qualities reflected below are altitude, speed, and range. The more full the box, the more balanced the design.

RANGE

ALT

SPEED

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the EADS Talarion Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) UAV .

None. Mainly reconnaissance, surveillance and intelligence-gathering suites.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the EADS Talarion family line.

Talarion - Base Project Designation

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the EADS Talarion. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 0 Units
Contractor(s): EADS - France / Netherlands; TAI - Turkey

[ France ]

Relative Max Speed

Hi: 400mph

Lo: 200mph

Aircraft Max Listed Speed (391mph).

Graph Average of 300 MPH.

Era Crossover

Showcasing Aircraft Era Crossover (if any)

Max Alt Visualization

MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

Aviation Timeline

EarlyYrs

WWI

Interwar

WWII

ColdWar

Postwar

Modern

Future

♦

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Mission Roles
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to airborne requirements.

RECONNAISSANCE

UNMANNED

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Going Further...
The EADS Talarion Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) UAV appears in the following collections:

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