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France To Increase Drone Stocks By 400% Under New Defense Plan
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France is moving to significantly expand its military stockpiles by 2030.
The country intends to increase its inventory of drones by 400 percent and its supply of anti-aircraft and aviation missiles by 30 percent. The French government is expected to present this proposal on April 8, according to POLITICO.
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The plan includes an allocation of $9.07 billion specifically for the procurement of unmanned systems and missile weaponry.
Along with the massive increase in drones, the French military plans to boost its supply of AASM Hammer guided bombs by 240 percent. It also aims for a 30 percent rise in the number of Aster and Mica anti-aircraft and air-to-air missiles.
Defense spending in France is projected to grow steadily, reaching $87.9 billion by 2030. The primary focus of this budget is to prepare the defense industrial base for higher production volumes.
This will involve modernizing manufacturing lines and increasing state orders. The European multinational corporation specialized in the design and development of missiles and related systems company MBDA already plans to raise its total output by 40 percent this year, with a specific goal to double the production rate of the Aster missile family.
France is also reevaluating its approach to air defense by looking for more affordable ways to intercept drones.
France is currently developing projects for the mass production and use of interceptor drones to replace expensive missiles.
Other cost-effective options being considered include using helicopters to intercept unmanned aerial vehicles and equipping Rafale jets with laser-guided missiles.
In January 2026, the French Armed Forces became the first confirmed customer for the One-Way Effector, a new long-range loitering munition developed by MBDA.
The contract was signed with France’s Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) following the system's initial unveiling at the 2025 Paris Air Show and its first successful trials later that September.
Developed in collaboration with Aviation Design, the drone was designed for scalable, low-cost mass production, with MBDA stating they were prepared to manufacture up to 1,000 units per month by leveraging automotive industry facilities.
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