'Win-win partnership': French companies to manufacture drones in Ukraine

By&nbspSerge Duchêne

Published connected 08/06/2025 - 12:47 GMT+2•Updated 14:01

In nan run of attrition and position that nan warfare successful Ukraine has become, FPV drones person quickly go ubiquitous and vitally essential.

Russia, initially relying chiefly connected Iranian Shaheds, soon put each nan powerfulness of its warfare system into manufacturing them itself.

Ukraine, though not capable to trust connected nan aforesaid accumulation capacity, is not to beryllium outdone and tin trust connected its inventiveness, some successful nan building and improvement of its ain models and nan effectiveness of their usage - arsenic demonstrated by nan caller 'Spider's Web' operation- but besides successful nan 're-use' of swarms launched by its adversaries.

Now Kyiv tin count connected immoderate awesome support successful this warfare astatine a distance: French automotive and defence companies are going to nutrient drones connected Ukrainian soil.0

As French nationalist power reported successful nan afternoon, it will beryllium automotive elephantine Renault Group which will beryllium producing nan drones.

Announcing nan inaugural on LCI, French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu said of a "win-win" business pinch Ukraine.

"We're going to embark connected a wholly unprecedented business wherever a awesome institution producing French cars - I'm not giving nan sanction because it's up to it to denote it - is going to subordinate forces pinch a French defence SME to limb accumulation lines successful Ukraine to beryllium capable to nutrient drones", nan curate announced.

These drones, nan type of which he did not specify, will beryllium intended for nan Ukrainians, " but we are besides going to make them disposable to our ain French armies truthful that we tin person imperishable tactical and operational training that reflects nan reality" of nan conflict.

As acold arsenic expertise and manpower are concerned, accumulation will remainder connected nan Ukrainians' shoulders: they "are amended than we are astatine devising drones and, supra all, processing nan doctrine that goes pinch them", Lecornu admitted. "There's besides nary request to inquire French citizens" to spell and activity connected nan accumulation statement successful Ukraine.

Europeans are already investing successful accumulation successful Ukraine

The announcement follows nan discussions that took spot connected 5 June successful Brussels betwixt nan Ukrainian and French defence ministers connected nan associated accumulation of weapons for Ukrainian defence needs.

"We are fresh to connection this opportunity to nan champion manufacturers. Ukraine has combat acquisition and France has a coagulated business base. This is simply a strategical and mutually beneficial partnership", Ukrainian Miniser of Defence Rustem Umarierov emphasised, thanking Lecornu for his support.

At nan 28th Ramstein gathering astatine NATO headquarters, Ukraine and its partners besides decided to group up an armaments accumulation mechanism.

Several European partners person precocious invested successful drone accumulation successful Ukraine

Finland has group up a drone manufacturing works successful practice pinch Ukrainian partners to nutrient drones for Ukraine and nan EU, pinch wide accumulation scheduled to statesman successful 2025.

The Netherlands has announced a €700m ($798m) finance to beforehand drone exertion and support Ukraine's defence industry.

The UK is besides investing hundreds of millions of dollars to summation drone accumulation for Ukraine successful 2025. Norway has redirected its costs to support Ukrainian drone production.

France has a batch of catching up to do

According to Jean-Paul Perruche, Lieutenant General and erstwhile Director General of nan European Union Military Staff, quoted by LCI, France was until past "insufficiently prepared" for this upheaval successful warfare practices: "I worked successful nan investigation section of nan service staff, and we were already talking astir drones astatine nan extremity of nan 1980s. But nan discourse astatine nan clip was acold from high-intensity. I deliberation we fell down connected drones astatine a clip erstwhile countries for illustration nan United States and others for illustration China were forging ahead.

While nan French service has a fewer 1000 drones (3,000 for nan army), Ukraine intends to usage much than 4.5 cardinal drones by 2025, which are responsible for 70% of nan demolition of force instrumentality connected nan beforehand line.