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Renault has been asked by the French government to manufacture drones in Ukraine, as unmanned aircraft systems have become a central element of Kyiv’s defiance of Russia’s military aggression.
The French carmaker would collaborate with a small drone specialist to mass produce drones under the plans, in the first move by French businesses to manufacture weapons on Ukrainian soil.
France’s defence minister Sébastien Lecornu told French broadcaster LCI on Friday evening that the country’s car and defence companies would work together to set up production lines in a “completely unprecedented partnership” to supply Ukrainian forces with drones.
Renault confirmed on Sunday night that it had been approached by France’s Ministry of the Armed Forces.
“Discussions have taken place, no decision is taken at this stage because we are waiting for details on this project from the ministry,” a spokesperson for the business said.
The move would mark the first time that Renault has manufactured defence equipment since the second world war, when its R35 tanks were used unsuccessfully against German Panzers in the Battle of France.
The initiative comes as drones have proved a central pillar to Ukraine’s military strategy. They were key to last week’s attack on Russian military airfields thousands of kilometres from Kyiv, in a sign of how drone technology has helped transform military tactics.
In the past few years the Ukrainian front line has been dominated by drones, and French production lines would help bolster production of the equipment. Lecornu said the US desire to disengage from Ukraine had created a “wake-up moment” where European countries would need to provide more “robust” security guarantees for Ukraine.
Lecornu said the move would be a “win-win situation” that would also benefit the French army by having a “permanent tactical and operational training that’s linked to the reality of this front line”.
Local workers would be employed to operate the lines in Ukraine and the companies would not need to send French workers there, Lecornu added. It is not clear what kind of drones would be manufactured by Renault, if the plans were to be confirmed.
