France's Ground Forces have finally received the first serial FPV drone from their own defense-industrial complex. And this happened 18 months after development began on a drone called MX-10 Damocles, of which 460 units will be delivered by July 2026.
This achievement was reported by the French defense procurement agency (DGA), specifying in a fresh announcement that transfer of the first sample to the ammunition service took place in December, after the drone was codified in November. Emphasizing that these drones will provide a new sovereign offensive capability.
Read more: UK Left With Only 14 Archers After Giving AS90s to Ukraine — RCH155 Demonstrator Won't Arrive Until 2028
According to announced characteristics, the MX-10 Damocles quadcopter has the ability to stay in the air for about 40 minutes, is equipped with a 550-gram warhead and can be used under EW conditions at a range of 10 km, and also has day and night cameras.
This drone was created by the French segment of KNDS and Delair under the Colibri project, which resulted in creation of the Mataris family of strike drones.
And overall, the whole situation, when 18 months is spent on FPV drone development, and its production rate will be 2-3 units per day, may seem very illustrative.
But the fact is that France's Ministry of Defense plans to order only 1,800 of all Mataris family kamikaze drones,which will be delivered until 2030.
At the same time, the argumentation of this decision is possibly paradoxically correct. France's Ministry of Defense stated that due to rapid drone development, there is no sense in their accumulation, because they will become obsolete very quickly.
And therefore, the main task of the order is only limited production to ensure military training and maintain production lines in readiness to begin mass production.
Recall that in France, production and delivery, including, according to statements, to Ukraine, of the Colibri kamikaze drone, which later received the name MV-25, also began earlier. But its use by Ukrainian military, if it occurred, went unnoticed, or was non-public.
Also, the other day production in France at Renault plants of long-range Chorus-type Shahed drones was announced, which are planned to be supplied to Ukraine.
Read more: Azov Brigade Tests Varta-2 Armored Vehicle in Combat, Vehicle Successfully Withstands FPV Drone Attack
