France to Supply Ukraine With Newly Developed Attack Drones
France will soon start supplying Ukraine with new kamikaze drones of its own design, BFMTV reports.
French Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu said that the tests of the first French attack drone were successful and that the first French units and Ukraine will receive them in the coming weeks.
The minister added that it is important for France to ‘restore sovereignty’ in this promising area in at least two years, i.e. to ensure its own production of attack UAVs.
In March 2024, the French Ministry of Defence ordered 2,000 of these French-made drones, of which a hundred were planned for Ukraine. At the time, Lecornu noted that attack drones were becoming an integral part of military operations and could be an important addition to the Caesar air defence system.
The development was ordered from a consortium that includes drone manufacturer Delair and the diversified arms company Nexter. Initially, these deliveries were planned for the summer.
At the beginning of the year, Lecornu announced plans to engage Delair in cooperation with the Ukrainian defence industry.