After having launched the concept of war economy, a consequence of the war in Ukraine since 2022, with large fanfare, the Ministry of the Armed Forces and the DGA have multiplied efforts to encourage production to relocate production and orchestrate the increase in cadence in the industry.
Produce more, more quickly, for controlled costs: the equation is complicated to guarantee the defense sector alone. That is why the use of civil industry to support the weapons industry is also one of the measures established to support the war economy.
A particular emphasis was placed on small drones, an area “in which France was late,” said DGA Chief Emmanuel Chiva at a press conference.
The civil industry of drones in the Défense record
Cell by The War in Ukraine, France, has launched a road map to support the drone industry. The “Pact of Defense Air drones” was signed in June 2024 and, in particular, must allow the mass production of civil drones, which will integrate military positions in a second step.
This is the case with “suicide bomber drones”, these civil drones to which explosive loads are added, such as Delir devices.
For manufacturers, these associations allow to extend their market and inflate the order book. Mass production, a procedure experienced in automotive or electronic industries, is in fact a challenge in the field of defense. Therefore, the use of the civil ecosystem would allow, for example, to overcome the limitations of factory construction and, therefore, control costs.
The DGA also provides a practice of life size in 2026: The Military Exercise Orion 2026 will incorporate the massive production of low -cost drones for the army, a test to confirm that civil industrial capabilities can quickly integrate into the production tool for military equipment.
Source: BFM TV
