FRANCE ORDERS EIGHT MORE AIRBUS CAPA-X DRONES FOR NAVY AND ARMY

The French Aeronautical Maintenance Directorate (DMAé) has placed an additional order with Airbus Helicopters for four systems, each comprising two U050 Capa-X uncrewed aerial systems, eight drones in total, following the successful evaluation of an initial system acquired at the end of 2025. Two systems are intended for the French Navy and two for the French Army as part of the Light Tactical Drone System (SDTL) evaluation programme, with delivery scheduled for 2027.

WHAT THE EVALUATION FOUND

Following a land and sea evaluation campaign conducted with French forces through 2025 and early 2026, the U050 Capa-X met the SDTL programme’s requirements, demonstrating a small logistical footprint, with the complete ground setup fitting onto two pickup trucks, a proven 7-hour endurance in that campaign, dual-payload capacity and a 100km operational range. Airbus’s own specification rates the aircraft’s maximum endurance higher, at up to 10 hours, so the 7-hour figure demonstrated in the evaluation should be read as a mission-representative result rather than the aircraft’s ceiling. The 120kg system operates up to 100km from its ground station via a direct data link, carries a maximum payload of 20kg, and in this configuration is equipped with an optronic pod for imagery intelligence alongside a signals intelligence capability. “We are honoured that the DMAé has selected our U050 Capa-X drone to equip the French Navy and Army. This is a testament to their trust and a decisive milestone for the programme, which officially enters its operational phase,” said Victor Gerin-Roze, Head of Uncrewed Aerial Systems at Airbus Helicopters. “This initial version of the U050 Capa-X is designed to evolve both in its design and the scope of its missions to adapt to the constantly changing needs of the armed forces. This is the core advantage of its modularity, which allows us to reinforce and expand its capabilities over time.”