French defense group KNDS and aerospace manufacturer Delair have conducted a live-fire test of France's first domestically produced kamikaze drone, the Damocles, on a military testing site.
The French armed forces have already received 460 units of the remote-controlled weapon, which was designed and built in just one year to bolster national defense capabilities.
The Damocles has a flight autonomy of 40 minutes and is capable of destroying targets located up to 15 kilometers from its launch point. A reporting team from French television network TF1 observed the field trial, which was organized to refine the target precision of the aircraft.
During prep work at the launch site, technicians removed the drone from an ordinary-looking box shown in footage broadcast on TF1's 13 Hours news bulletin. Unpacking took place with extreme care, and handlers executed no movements without prior approval from the launch control room.
Charline Hurel, a special correspondent for news channel TF1-LCI who covered the trial, reported that technicians wore specialized protective suits because the aircraft was carrying live explosive material.
Targeting Capabilities and Production Costs
Guillaume, a senior engineer and drone project manager at the Direction générale de l'armement, the French military procurement agency responsible for defense technology acquisitions, explained the operational scope of the weapon. He said the Damocles is designed to attack stationary ground installations, including radar stations, as well as moving armored vehicles attempting to conceal themselves or flee.
While the exact unit price of the Damocles is kept secret, defense officials confirmed that it costs less than 20,000 euros. In comparison, improvised kamikaze drones used on Ukrainian battlefields cost roughly 600 euros each, though French military experts noted those lower-cost alternatives are significantly less accurate and less reliable.
Tension and concentration remained high inside the control area during the test, with personnel keeping their eyes locked on monitoring screens. After the pilot designated the target coordinates to the aircraft, the engagement sequence was initiated on a three-second countdown, ending with the drone exploding directly against its designated target on military ground.
Strategic Autonomy and Mass Production Goals
The conflict in Ukraine has triggered a rapid technological leap in uncrewed aerial warfare and a radical shift in global military strategy. French defense authorities are working to keep pace with these technological developments while retaining full national sovereignty over military equipment.
Guillaume emphasized that in the same way France maintains complete sovereignty over its nuclear strike capabilities, the nation now possesses full control over its drone technology. He stated that France relies on neither the United States nor China to design, develop, or produce its uncrewed combat systems.
French defense contractors are preparing to scale up production capacity significantly over the coming months. Manufacturers plan to reach a production capacity of 100 drones per day starting in November.
