Science & Tech · Gadgets & EVs · 13 hrs ago
Three teams compete to build France’s next armed naval surface drone
France’s Navy is developing an armed surface drone through a programme called Danae.
Its planned roles include protecting ports and escorting ships, rather than carrying out the kind of attack described in the programme’s background.
Three teams were chosen from seven solutions tested off Toulon in January.
Their designs offer different approaches, including a foil, greater autonomy and a focus on reliability.
The teams have one year to improve their prototypes before the Navy makes a final selection.
The contenders include groups of smaller companies and a team formed by Sirenha, a Naval Group subsidiary, and Couach.
The programme aims to strengthen the Navy’s capabilities, as France sees surface drones as an important tool.
France’s Danae programme is narrowing the field to three teams developing an armed naval surface drone for the French Navy.
The drone is intended for tasks such as protecting ports and escorting ships, rather than serving as a “killer drone.”
Seven solutions were tested off Toulon in January, and three were selected to continue.
The French defence ministry has given the finalists one year to improve their drones before a final selection.
The teams are promoting different strengths, including a hydrofoil design, decision-making autonomy and experience building patrol boats.
- Who
- Three finalist teams: a group formed by SEAir, ÆGIR and Diades Marine with MBDA; SeaOwl; and a group formed by Sirenha and Couach.
- What
- They are competing to develop an armed naval surface drone for the French Navy.
- When
- The Danae project was launched in January. The ministry gave the finalists one year to improve their drones before a final selection.
- Where
- Seven solutions were tested off Toulon. The finalists presented their platforms at the Euronaval exhibition in Villepinte, north of Paris.
- Why
- The Navy aims to strengthen its capabilities with drones for tasks such as protecting ports and escorting ships.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Seven solutions were tested off Toulon as part of the Danae project.
In the Black Sea, an armed Ukrainian drone with a remotely operated cannon fired on a Russian surveillance and reconnaissance drone; France’s defence ministry called it the first naval drone combat.
The defence ministry gave the three finalists one year to improve their drones before a final selection.
The finalists presented their platforms at the naval defence industry exhibition in Villepinte.
- Programme
- Danae (Drone de surface Autonome Naval avec capacité d’Armement Embarqué)
- Finalists
- SEAir, ÆGIR and Diades Marine with MBDA; SeaOwl; Sirenha and Couach
- Initial field
- Seven solutions tested off Toulon
- Development period
- One year to improve the drones before final selection
- SEAir team’s design feature
- Hydrofoil technology used in the January tests
What people are saying
It allows us to be highly flexible
Small and medium-sized companies do not often get the chance to take part in exercises. Here, we can show what we know how to do.
It must not be an engineer’s product, but a user’s product
We are looking for technical breakthroughs; these are drastic choices to strike a balance between performance and costs