Renault to launch drone production in Ukraine

French car manufacturer Renault plans to begin drone production in Ukraine, Reuters reports. The company is currently in negotiations with the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, although no final decision has been confirmed.

Production facilities are expected to be established several dozen or even hundreds of kilometres from the front line. According to Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu, French personnel will not be involved on site, as Ukrainian specialists possess stronger expertise in unmanned systems and are more adept at developing relevant combat doctrines.

A portion of the drones produced under this project is expected to be supplied to the French Armed Forces, helping to address the military’s current shortfall in unmanned capabilities.

Earlier, Minister Lecornu stated that “a major French car company” would commence drone manufacturing in Ukraine. The initiative will be implemented in partnership with a French small or medium-sized defence firm specialising in UAV technologies.

This development comes shortly after Robert “Magyar” Brovdi, the newly appointed Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, presented a 100-day plan for reforming and enhancing this branch of Ukraine’s military.