French army buys long-range kamikaze drones from MBDA and Aviation Design

PARIS, Jan 22 (Reuters) - France's military has placed its first order for long-range kamikaze drones from local defence firms as it seeks to develop its own drone production capacity after drawing lessons from how the war is being fought in Ukraine.

The Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) said on Thursday it had ordered "long-range remote-controlled munitions" at the end of December from French missile manufacturer MBDA and French drone manufacturer Aviation Design, which have joined forces for this project.

The first batch of these remotely operated munitions is due to be delivered to the armed forces in mid-2027, the DGA said.

Kamikaze drones, also called loitering munitions, are disposable aerial weapons that crash into targets, detonating and destroying themselves in the process.

The value of the order or the number of munitions purchased was not disclosed.

France is trying to catch up in the field of drones, which have become crucial since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, an effort it has made a priority.