{"id":39906,"date":"2018-05-25T21:06:41","date_gmt":"2018-05-25T21:06:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/05\/25\/euro-hawk-fiasco-looms-large-in-germanys-new-spy-drone-search\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:13:50","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:13:50","slug":"euro-hawk-fiasco-looms-large-in-germanys-new-spy-drone-search","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/unmanned\/2018\/05\/25\/euro-hawk-fiasco-looms-large-in-germanys-new-spy-drone-search\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Euro Hawk\u2019 fiasco looms large in Germany\u2019s new spy drone search"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

COLOGNE, Germany \u2013 Bruised by a failed program that ate through $700 million<\/a> five years ago, defense officials here are eager to avoid painful mistakes as they prepare the purchase of three Northrop Grumman-made \u201cTriton\u201d unmanned aircraft<\/a> from the U.S. Navy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Especially when it comes to the new drones\u2019 airworthiness in shared airspace, Berlin wants to make sure there are program off-ramps predefined in case the aircraft fail to get the necessary permits, the government has told lawmakers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, officials want a section in the contract dedicated to an \u201cairworthiness qualification plan,\u201d states a defense ministry response to members of the leftist Die Linke party, first reported by the Tagesschau website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, Germany wants to be able to walk away if certification of the Triton\u2019s sense-and-avoid system by U.S. authorities fails to translate into approval by the Bundeswehr\u2019s own safety inspectors.<\/p>\n\n\n\t