Partnerships with defence companies could create annual manufacturing capacity of up to 60,000 drones
France is increasingly involving carmakers and automotive suppliers in the development and mass production of military drones, according to Reuters. At least six automotive companies have announced partnerships with defence groups since the beginning of the year.
The French government aims to combine the scale, automation expertise and cost discipline of the country’s automotive industry with one of the fastest-growing segments of military technology. The strategy is intended to establish production capacity that could be expanded rapidly in the event of a crisis.
The growing use of drones by both Ukraine and Russia has significantly changed modern warfare. At the same time, pressure from Washington for European countries to strengthen their military capabilities has encouraged France and its allies to prioritise drone development and manufacturing.
Reuters reported that cooperation between automotive and defence companies could enable France to produce tens of thousands of military drones each year. In December, then French prime minister Sébastien Lecornu announced investments of €150 million to support the development of a domestic drone sector.
French defence officials do not expect the country to require large-scale drone deployments over its own territory in the immediate future. However, they argue that France must be capable of rapidly increasing production if a military conflict or major security crisis occurs.
Renault targets production of 1,000 drones a month
Renault has already entered the defence drone sector through a partnership with French military technology company Turgis & Gaillard. The carmaker has now also agreed to produce Toutatis one-way attack drones together with defence group Thales.
According to Reuters, the agreement provides for production of up to 1,000 drones per month from 2027.
French automotive supplier Valeo has announced plans to manufacture electric drone motors for defence technology company Harmattan AI. Forvia, another major automotive supplier, is preparing a partnership with a European defence company specialising in AI-supported counter-drone systems.
Forvia is also assessing the establishment of production capacity in France capable of manufacturing around 1,000 interceptor drones per month.
German automotive supplier Schaeffler is involved in a separate project with French drone manufacturer Delair. The two companies are developing a production line in France that could manufacture approximately 100 drones per day by November.
Combined capacity could reach 60,000 units annually
Should the projects announced by Renault, Schaeffler and Forvia be fully implemented, France’s combined production capacity could reach around 60,000 drones per year, Reuters estimated.
A major conflict could require significantly higher volumes. The war in Ukraine has demonstrated not only the growing operational importance of drones, but also the need to replace them continuously because of battlefield losses and exceptionally short technological development cycles.
Patrick Pailloux, a senior official at France’s defence procurement agency, said the authority was working with automotive suppliers to develop drone systems that could be manufactured in large quantities.
The central industrial challenge is to create production capacity that can be activated quickly without accumulating large inventories during peacetime. Military drones are evolving rapidly, meaning systems manufactured and stored in large numbers could become technologically outdated within a relatively short period.
