• French Navy to Receive New VTOL Version of Airbus’ Aliaca Drone
• The French Directorate General of Armament (DGA) has ordered a new vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) version of the Aliaca uncrewed aerial system.
• Deliveries of the new drone configuration to the French Navy are scheduled to begin in May 2026.
• This order amends an existing contract for 34 Aliaca systems that dates back to 2022.
MARIGNANE, France – The French Navy is set to become the first operator of a new drone variant from Airbus. The French Directorate General of Armament (DGA) has ordered a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) version of the Aliaca uncrewed aerial system from Airbus Helicopters, with deliveries slated to start in May 2026.
The new configuration is designed to provide greater operational flexibility and a reduced logistical footprint for naval missions.
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What is new?
The French government’s armament agency, the DGA, has placed an order for a new version of the Aliaca drone, which is designated SMDM (“Onboard Mini Aerial Drone Systems for the Navy”) in French service. The order, placed with Airbus subsidiary Survey Copter, specifies the new vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) configuration of the drone. This is an amendment to a contract first established in 2022 for a total of 34 Aliaca systems.
Following a qualification campaign in early 2026 involving land and sea trials, deliveries of the VTOL version will commence in May 2026. The existing fixed-wing version of the SMDM will continue to be operated and maintained for at least seven more years.
Key Details
The Aliaca VTOL was developed in less than a year and combines its new vertical flight capability, enabled by four propellers, with a fixed-wing mode for mission endurance. The drone has a maximum take-off weight of 25 kg, a wingspan of 3.5 meters, and a length of 2.1 meters. It can operate for up to two hours with a range of 50 kilometers.
The system’s payload includes a high-performance gyro-stabilised electro-optical/infrared camera and an Automatic Identification System (AIS) that can detect ships within a radius of several hundred kilometers. The VTOL capability eliminates the need for launch-and-recovery equipment, allowing for faster deployment and a smaller logistical footprint while using the same ground station as the original version.
Background and Deployment
The standard fixed-wing version of the SMDM has been operational with the French Navy since 2022, serving as a “remote binoculars” system on patrol vessels and surveillance frigates. Since the summer of 2023, it has also been used from the French coast for search and rescue operations in the English Channel.
The new VTOL version will be deployed on other types of French Navy vessels to perform missions such as maintaining tactical situational awareness, combating illegal activities, traffic and coastal surveillance, and search and rescue. In the long term, the system is also planned for land-based operations to support the coastal surveillance network.
About this company
Airbus is a European multinational aerospace corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells civil and military aerospace products worldwide. Its portfolio includes commercial aircraft, helicopters, defense systems, and satellites. This order was managed by Airbus Helicopters, a division of the company, and its subsidiary Survey Copter.
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