Airbus secures French order for vertical takeoff Aliaca drone after trials
Airbus secured an initial French defense procurement agency order for the vertical takeoff and landing version of its U010 Aliaca drone. The agency requested all seven systems remaining from its original 34-system order in the new configuration, with delivery scheduled before year-end.
1. Order and deployment
Trials in 2024 and 2025 validated the redesigned variant, which retains core components and can operate from smaller vessels with less preparation time and without net recovery in some sea conditions. French Navy deployment is scheduled to begin on metropolitan support and assistance vessels in late 2026, followed by overseas counterparts during 2027.
