Military debut: Renault to manufacture drones for Ukraine

The French government is partnering with carmaker Renault to produce military drones in Ukraine with local partners.

According to a local news outlet on 8 June, the drones will be made to support both the French and Ukrainian military operations.

This will be the first time Renault is producing drones for military operations and it is a major shift in its manufacturing history.

Supporting Ukraine’s defense

France is producing the drones partly to support Ukraine’s military in their operations, as Ukraine has been on the defensive since its invasion by Russia in 2022.

Since then, several allies have supported the country in its fight against Russia, and France is one of such countries.

Apart from other ways it has supported this cause, the country is now partnering with Renault to manufacture drones for Ukraine’s military.

Announcing the partnership, the French defense minister Sébastien Lecornu minister said:

“We are preparing an absolutely unprecedented partnership: a large French automobile company will team up with a small or medium-sized enterprise from the defense sector to create production lines in Ukraine for the manufacture of drones.”

While Lecornu did not name the company, Renault later confirmed it was the partner automaker to lead the drone production.

The production will mainly be done by Ukrainians, while France will provide logistical support.

Renault’s adventure

Renault has been quite adventurous lately as far as its production is concerned.

This is not surprising as all automakers are now taking giant steps towards ensuring that they stay ahead, and the venture into drones is a major step.

The company also recently started venturing into autonomous vehicles with the launch of Europe’s first driverless taxis with WeRide.

The robobus was first launched in France’s Drôme region, to eventually become available in other regions after testing.