After successful tests of its locally-designed loitering munitions, France will order up to 2,000 of the kamikaze drones and deliver the first 100 to Ukraine.
The French Defense Innovation Agency, in partnership with Delair and KNDS, started the development of the Colibri drone in 2023.
The Colibri is capable of observing, identifying, and neutralizing a static or dynamic threat within a radius of 5 kilometers (3 miles), with a flight time of 45 minutes.
French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said that “this result will help in regaining sovereignty over this key segment for our forces in less than two years.”
He also explained that kamikaze drones are fundamental for operations and will be able to complement the Caesar cannon that France previously sent to Ukraine as part of a military aid package.
Succès des essais de la première munition télé opérée – aussi appelée drone kamikaze – française.
Reconquête de souveraineté sur ce segment clé pour nos armées, en moins de deux ans.
Livraisons à l’Ukraine et à nos forces dans les prochaines semaines. pic.twitter.com/QfewB0gIAm
— Sébastien Lecornu (@SebLecornu) October 16, 2024
The Crucial Role of Drones
Both Ukraine and Russia attempt to make the most out of drone capabilities on the battlefield.
Russia has widely used kamikaze drones like Iranian Shaheds and the domestically made Lancets to target Ukrainian territories and infrastructure.
Besides producing local aircraft, Ukraine has been receiving unmanned systems, among other weapons, in military aid packages from several nations.
Since 2023, France has allocated $3.2 billion in military aid to Ukraine.
