Renault Group and Thales enter into a strategic partnership to develop a sovereign drone industry in France (Photos: Thales)
French defence company, Thales, has partnered with automotive manufacturer, Renault Group, to industrialise the large-scale production of the Toutatis loitering munition, combining defence technology expertise with automotive manufacturing capabilities. The companies aim to begin production by 2027 with an initial capacity of 1,000 units per month, strengthening France’s sovereign defence industry and expanding its domestic drone and munition manufacturing capabilities.
In a press statement, Thales says that the initiative represents a significant increase in France’s industrial capabilities in the strategic drone and loitering munition sector.
It adds that the partnership is expected to support a resilient and sovereign supply of munitions for France while addressing the evolving operational requirements of the armed forces and enhancing the competitiveness of the national defence industry.
Toutatis loitering munition
According to the statement, designed for high-intensity conflict environments, the short-range loitering munition is intended to provide armed forces with enhanced operational flexibility. The system can be deployed by dismounted soldiers and launched from multiple platforms, including combat vehicles, aircraft and naval vessels. It is resistant to electromagnetic jamming and features a mission-configurable warhead capable of engaging targets such as combat vehicles, while maintaining human operators within the decision-making process.
The statement says that Toutatis is also capable of operating as part of a drone swarm and has been designed as a scalable platform that can adapt to future operational requirements.
François Provost
The statement adds that at Eurosatory, Renault Group and Thales also unveiled the 4 Troop tactical vehicle, developed to address evolving battlefield needs. Integrating drones, sensors, hybrid secure communications systems and artificial intelligence-enhanced decision-support tools, the vehicle is designed to provide land forces with significantly enhanced operational capabilities and improved battlefield awareness.
“This new strategic partnership between Thales and Renault Group unites the strengths of two French champions in support of French sovereign drone industry. Renault Group brings its industrial expertise to the Toutatis project, along with the highest standards of automotive manufacturing, to design, industrialise and produce at scale, within shortened timelines and at optimised costs. I am proud of the work accomplished by our teams. It makes a tangible contribution to the initiatives undertaken with the French Ministry of the Armed Forces and strengthens both French and European defence capabilities,” says François Provost, Chief Executive Officer, Renault Group.
Patrice Caine
“This partnership with Renault Group marks an important milestone in strengthening sovereign, large-scale, world-class capabilities in the field of drones. By combining Thales’ excellence in advanced technologies with Renault Group’s industrial strength, this partnership addresses the needs of the armed forces while meeting the requirements of the wartime economy,” says Patrice Caine, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Thales.