French Navy carried out an interesting experiment that became simultaneously a test for a newly developed one-way attack drone and a lesson in deploying countermeasures. The target was a decommissioned freight vessel Chaland de Transport de Matériel (CTM).
The aiming point was protected by car tires and sheets of metal or similar material, as can be seen in the official video. The Navy press service notes that this protection was applied to prevent the ship from sinking.
Read more: Aircraft Carrier Project Dropped for Naval Drones: S.Korea is Building a Drone Fleet With a Mega-Flagship
The experiment was part of the POLARIS initiative, started in 2021, to prepare the French Navy for high-intensity combat operations. Incidentally, in February 2025, another notable trial was conducted under the same initiative where they detonated a sea mine next to their own Courbet frigate to gauge the ship and its systems' durability.
Back to the drone test, the French Navy command stressed that one of the goals was to evaluate the new unmanned surface vehicle and gain experience in using systems of this type. Besides this episode, nothing is known about the kamikaze boat itself, though Defense Express notes conceptual and design similarities to the Ukrainian Magura V5, a weapon famed for swarm attacks on russian warships in the Black Sea. The size also appears to be nearly the same.
The French naval forces actively master new technologies. The service had previously carried out exercises in repelling an invasion of airborne and surface drones. In that instance, they placed a Jaguar self-propelled air defense gun on board in an attempt to improve the cost-efficiency of destroying unmanned threats and chained it to the deck for better stability.
It also seems that the French military is studying Ukrainian experiences in this area and is preparing to face new threats on the modern battlefield against the escalating militarization of China and russia. Meanwhile, naval drones in general keep evolving, and seeing Ukraine move from one version to another every six months inspired France to create its own Seaquest S one-way attack USV.
Another notable example of armies across the world recognizing the potential of unmanned technologies is South Korea's recent decision to drop an aircraft carrier project to build a drone fleet headed by a mega-flagship instead. Taiwan is rushing to incorporate USVs in its arsenal, too: they followed in Ukraine's footsteps and developed a similar-looking kamikaze drone.
Read more: French Company Creates Seaquest S, a Project Inspired by Ukraine's Sea Drones
