France to supply Ukraine with new attack drones made in France

France will soon begin supplying Ukraine with newly-designed kamikaze drones manufactured in France.

The French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced this on October 16, according to BFMTV. The minister stated that the French-made drones will be delivered to the Ukrainian army “in the coming weeks.”

Lecornu announced that the first French attack drone went through successful tests and will be delivered to French military units and Ukraine shortly.

However, Paris does not disclose the technical specifications and combat capabilities of the new attack drones that the Ukrainian military will soon be able to employ against the Russian invading forces.

The French defense 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.

The French Ministry of Defense ordered 2,000 of these French-made drones in March 2024, with plans to send 100 of them to 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 French-made Caesar air defense system.

According to the French minister, these first investments in the attack drones development “are part of a major catch-up effort for French armed forces, at a time when France is lagging behind in the development of drones, which are used on a massive scale by both Ukraine’s Armed Forces and Russian invading troops on the Ukrainian front.

Delair, a drone manufacturer, and Nexter, a diversified arms company, formed a consortium for the UAV development. Initially, they planned these deliveries for the summer.

At the beginning of the year, Lecornu announced plans to engage Delair in cooperation with the Ukrainian defense industry.

Attack drones have become an important tool for Ukrainian soldiers in repelling attacks by Russian troops, including those supported by armored vehicles and modern tanks. Thus, in a situation where Ukraine lacks artillery ammunition and FPV drones, the supply of the latest attack drones could be crucial for securing an advantage on the frontline.