French car maker Renault could make drones in Ukraine, signaling the automotive industry's shift into defense
Will the "war economy" advocated by Emmanuel Macron since his June 2022 speech reach a symbolic turning point? Renault announced on Sunday, June 8, that the Ministry of Armed Forces had reached out about producing military drones. "Discussions have taken place, but no decision has been made at this stage, as we are still waiting for further details from the ministry regarding this project," the automaker said, without disclosing further information. Renault would be working in partnership with another French company. According to broadcaster Franceinfo, the planned production lines would be located in Ukraine, "some tens or hundreds of kilometers from the front line."
This information corroborated statements made a few hours earlier by Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu. When questioned about this on French television on June 6, Lecornu announced "a completely unprecedented partnership in which a major company producing French cars (…) will join forces with a French defense SME to set up production lines in Ukraine in order to manufacture drones." The type of drones was not specified, but they are intended primarily for the Ukrainian army. "But we will also ensure that our own French armed forces benefit from these drones so that we can maintain tactical and operational training that reflects the reality" of the conflict in Ukraine, Lecornu added.
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