The French‑Ukrainian defence agreement signed in Paris is already reshaping one quiet corner of southern France, where drone makers see not just new orders, but a long-term role in rebuilding Ukraine’s armed forces.
France–Ukraine defence pact opens the door for regional drone makers
France and Ukraine have agreed a long-term defence cooperation framework that goes far beyond symbolic support. Alongside Kyiv’s interest in Rafale fighter jets and SAMP/T “Mamba” air defence systems, drones are emerging as a central pillar of the future partnership.
While the final contracts are still being negotiated, French manufacturers in the Occitanie region, around Toulouse, are already positioning themselves. They see Ukraine as both a major customer and a live testing ground for the next generation of unmanned systems.
For several French companies, Ukraine is no longer just a theatre of war, but a development lab where designs are validated under fire.
The French government frames the deal as part of a long game: helping Kyiv regenerate its forces so that, once a ceasefire or peace deal is reached, Ukraine can deter any new Russian aggression on its own.
Delair: from niche player to drone heavyweight
At the front of this industrial push stands Delair, a drone specialist founded in 2011 in Labège, just outside Toulouse. Long known for its professional surveillance drones, the company has quietly shifted into a higher gear as demand for military systems exploded after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Delair’s growth has been striking. It posted around €10 million in revenue in 2023, and is targeting €50 million this year. Its workforce has nearly tripled in two years, from about 80 to 230 employees.
The firm now produces a full range of uncrewed aircraft, from one‑kilogram mini-drones used for tactical reconnaissance to 100‑kilogram platforms capable of carrying heavier payloads for longer missions.
From surveillance to “kamikaze” drones
Delair’s catalogue has expanded in step with the brutal realities of the war in Ukraine. Beyond its larger surveillance craft, the company now manufactures loitering munitions, often called “kamikaze” drones, designed to fly towards a target and self‑destruct on impact.
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These systems can carry up to around 600 grams of explosives, enough to destroy vehicles, radar systems, or key positions while keeping operators far from direct danger.
The guiding idea for French engineers: use drones to hunt targets, not soldiers, and bring crews home alive.
Delair’s leadership openly expects fresh orders if Kyiv’s interest in French drones is formalised. The new Franco‑Ukrainian framework, they argue, gives political cover for long-term contracts and industrial investment.
Co‑developing drones inside Ukraine
Delair has not waited for signatures to get closer to the battlefield. In summer 2025, the firm opened a small subsidiary inside Ukraine. The unit employs around ten staff, mixing Ukrainian and French engineers who share both design responsibilities and front‑line feedback.
The first co‑developed drone from this joint team is due to roll off the line in early 2026. Engineers say they have reshaped airframes, electronics, and even software based on direct reports from Ukrainian units flying Delair systems near the front.
French teams say they have “benefited from Ukrainian soldiers’ field feedback” – many of whom are trained engineers who return from the front with precise technical suggestions.
Serial production remains in Labège, where the company can rely on existing facilities, supply chains and skilled labour. Ukraine hosts the design office, where rapid changes are easier to test in combat zones.
Why frontline feedback changes everything
For drone makers, war in Ukraine functions like an accelerated trial phase that peacetime militaries cannot replicate. Each sortie produces data on how systems perform under electronic jamming, extreme weather, and constant threat of interception.
- Flight endurance and battery life are pushed to their limits.
- Navigation systems are tested against Russian GPS disruption.
- Cameras and sensors are evaluated in smoke, dust and winter fog.
- Ground control interfaces are adjusted so exhausted soldiers can use them quickly.
Ukrainian operators often modify drones themselves in the field, then relay what worked. Those quick‑and‑dirty fixes are now informing Delair’s official design choices.
A growing French drone ecosystem around Toulouse
Delair is not alone. The wider Toulouse area, long known for Airbus and civil aviation, is turning into a cluster for military drones. Several firms are seeking a share of future Ukrainian orders.
Companies such as Harmattan AI and Alta‑Ares, located elsewhere in France, have signalled they can ramp up mass production. Like Delair, Alta‑Ares plans to open a design office in Ukraine to capture on‑the‑ground experience from Ukrainian troops.
Other players are still testing the waters. Start‑ups such as Diodon in Labège and Aura Aero in Portet‑sur‑Garonne are working on military drones but have not yet formally targeted the Ukrainian market. Aura Aero recently unveiled ENBATA, a mid‑altitude drone, while stressing that its military drone division is still ramping up.
Foreign entrants and defence giants
The regional landscape also includes foreign and more traditional defence companies trying to reposition themselves.
Portuguese group Tekever has a subsidiary near Toulouse and plans to industrialise drone production at a new site near Cahors by mid‑2026. Its systems use artificial intelligence to assist operators, helping them process large volumes of surveillance data. Tekever has already delivered surveillance drones to Ukraine during the conflict, though its future role under the new bilateral framework remains uncertain.
Industrial group Daher, based in the Hautes‑Pyrénées, is another key name. Known historically for aircraft components and logistics, it now earns about 15.5% of its revenue from defence, roughly €300 million in 2024. Drones form part of that push, and the company is widely expected to pursue Ukrainian contracts even if it remains discreet for now.
| Company | Location (Occitanie) | Main focus |
|---|---|---|
| Delair | Labège | Surveillance and loitering munition drones |
| Diodon | Labège | Rugged tactical drones |
| Aura Aero | Portet‑sur‑Garonne | Mid‑altitude drones and light aircraft |
| Tekever | Ramonville‑Saint‑Agne / near Cahors | AI-assisted surveillance drones |
| Daher | Hautes‑Pyrénées | Aerospace and defence, including drones |
A bet on tens of thousands of drones – and a new supply chain
The ambitions linked to the Paris declaration are vast. French officials and executives talk openly about delivering not hundreds but potentially tens of thousands of drones to Kyiv over the coming years.
Reaching those numbers demands more than enlarging factory floors. The aim is to build a dedicated French industrial fabric for drones: specialised suppliers of sensors, batteries, airframes, software and secure communications that can respond at speed when Ukraine signals a new need.
The real challenge is not a single mega‑contract, but creating a production machine flexible enough to adapt as battlefield tactics evolve.
Once Ukraine’s needs are partly met, French manufacturers hope to sell similar systems to other European states rearming in response to Russia, as well as allies in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
What loitering munitions and AI drones actually are
Terms like “kamikaze drone” and “AI‑powered surveillance” can sound abstract, so a few definitions help clarify what France is really sending or preparing to send.
Loitering munitions are hybrid systems that blur the line between drone and missile. They are launched, circle above a target area, then dive on a selected object, destroying themselves in the strike. Because they can be recalled or redirected, they are sometimes seen as more flexible than traditional artillery shells or rockets.
AI‑assisted drones, like those Tekever promotes, still have a human in the loop. Software sifts through video feeds and sensor data to flag suspicious vehicles, boats or movements, reducing the mental load on operators who might be watching multiple screens for hours.
Risks, constraints and future scenarios
Behind the optimism of French manufacturers sit political, ethical and technical risks. Any long-term deal depends on changing political majorities in Paris and Kyiv. Public opinion in France could shift if casualties or incidents linked to exported drones spark controversy.
There is also the constant race between drone and anti‑drone technologies. Russian forces are investing heavily in electronic warfare, jamming and anti‑air systems that try to blind or shoot down UAVs. French companies know that a design that works this winter might be obsolete by next winter.
A plausible scenario for 2026–2027 sees Ukraine operating mixed fleets: locally built drones, commercial off‑the‑shelf craft adapted in workshops, and high‑end systems supplied by France and other partners. French companies with teams on Ukrainian soil could react faster, tweaking hardware and software between offensives.
For the Occitanie region, the cumulative effect is already visible: new technical jobs, increased demand for engineers and electronics specialists, and pressure on local infrastructure. Towns that once saw aerospace purely as civil aviation are now living through a subtle but deep shift towards defence and dual‑use technologies.
At the same time, the Ukrainian co‑development model might spread. If it proves effective, French firms could repeat it with other allied countries, embedding engineers close to future conflict zones to shorten the distance between coding, prototyping and combat reality.