France Engages Renault for Potential Drone Manufacturing Partnership
By Gilles Guillaume
PARIS (Reuters) -France's defence ministry has approached Renault with a view to helping to manufacture drones, the automaker said on Sunday, after the ministry last week floated the idea French companies could help with production in Ukraine.
"We have been contacted by the defence ministry about the possibility of producing drones. Discussions have taken place, but no decision has been taken at this stage, as we are awaiting further details on this project from the ministry," Renault said in a statement to Reuters.
Earlier on Sunday, French news website Franceinfo reported the French carmaker was expected to produce drones in Ukraine.
Asked about the report, the ministry told Reuters it was up to the carmaker, without naming it, to say whether it would participate.
Also without naming any companies, Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu told French news channel LCI on Friday that France would set up a partnership between a major French carmaker and a small defence firm to equip production lines in Ukraine for building drones.
Drones have played a significant role in Ukraine’s defence since Russia's full-scale invasion of the country in 2022, providing surveillance and strike capabilities that have shaped battlefield tactics against Russian forces.
(Reporting by Gilles Guillaume;Additional reporting by Camille Raynaud;Writing by Mathieu RosemainEditing by Elaine Hardcastle and Barbara Lewis)
