France is scaling up dedicated drone-combat formations after the 1st Marine Infantry Regiment demonstrated how surveillance drones, FPV attack systems and loitering munitions can disrupt conventional military operations. The French Army plans to establish additional units by 2027 while adapting its doctrine to address electronic warfare and counter-drone threats.
General Atomics is positioning its MQ-9B uncrewed aircraft as a multi-mission platform for European defence, combining persistent surveillance, airborne early warning, counter-drone potential and long-range weapons integration.
Dutch defence technology company Optics11 is expanding its underwater surveillance business, with dozens of navies exploring its fibre-optic sensing systems. The company expects around 35 paid naval trials this year and is preparing for further international expansion.
France has awarded Airbus and Thales Alenia Space a contract worth more than €1.5 billion to develop two advanced IRIS military imaging satellites, ensuring the continuity of its sovereign space-based intelligence capabilities beyond 2035.
Britain and France are leading KOALICJA 26.2, a multinational exercise involving around 2,800 troops from 11 countries. The drills are designed to test the command, logistics and operational readiness of a force that could support Ukraine after the war.
