French Arms Procurement Agency Orders Airbus’ Mini-Drones worth €30M for Navy

The French Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) has finalized a €30 million contract for an additional 15 Embedded Mini-Aerial Drone Systems (SMDM), produced by Airbus subsidiary Survey Copter, for the French Navy.

This brings the total number of such drones ordered by the DGA to 33.

Certified and qualified by the DGA, the Embedded Mini-Aerial Drone Systems (SMDM) is a maritime drone system capable of taking off and landing on ships without a helicopter platform. Aimed at enhancing aerial surveillance, detection, and identification capabilities, these systems will be deployed on high-sea patrol boats, overseas patrol boats, surveillance frigates, and other prioritized platforms of the French Navy.

Deliveries are scheduled to commence at the end of 2024.

Operational since 2022 within the French Navy, the SMDM comprises two Aliaca drones from Survey Copter, each weighing approximately 16 kg. Powered by an electric motor, they boast a three-hour autonomy and a 50-kilometer operating range. Launched by catapult, these drones are automatically recovered on board using a net at the conclusion of their mission. Images and data collected during flight by onboard sensors can be transmitted in real-time, day and night. The initial integrations of SMDM have proven satisfactory on the operational level, prompting this additional order to meet the French Navy's massification expectations.

These capabilities enable SMDMs to identify buildings at distances greater than radar ranges and to characterize threats in real-time using a video stream. The SMDM provides the French Navy with a substantial information boost, enhancing the efficiency of the equipped ships.

Thanks to these capabilities, tactical uses for these drones are extensive, including identification and photography of unknown ships, discreet repositioning of ships of interest, or even search and rescue operations for shipwrecked individuals.

The SMDM is a modular platform designed for the gradual integration of new technologies, facilitating continuous performance improvement, such as the incorporation of a transponder.

This order will primarily involve the industrial sites of Survey Copter, a subsidiary of Airbus Defense and Space, located in Pierrelatte in the Drôme, and the REXIAA Group in Saint-Claude in the Jura.