France Negotiating Withdrawal from Eurodrone Program

France is considering withdrawing from the European Eurodrone program and is already in talks with its partners—Germany, Spain, and Italy.

This was reported by Challenges, citing its own sources, as relayed by TipRanks.

The French authorities are increasingly describing this platform as too expensive and unsuitable for high-intensity warfare. The main reason for the change in position is said to be the aircraft’s inability to meet modern threats.

The Chief of Staff of the French Air and Space Force called the program “yesterday’s drone that we can get tomorrow.” This remark is related to another delay in the project’s implementation by approximately five years.

The Eurodrone program

The Eurodrone (also known as MALE RPAS) is a joint project between Germany, France, Italy, and Spain to create the first large European reconnaissance and strike drone. Its main goal is to ensure Europe’s strategic independence from American MQ-9 Reaper and Israeli systems.

The program was officially launched in 2022, and its total cost is estimated at €7.1 billion. The deliveries of the medium-altitude, long-endurance surveillance drone are not expected until around 2030–2031.

The drone has a wingspan of 30 meters and a maximum take-off weight of about 11 tons, equipped with two turboprop engines. The aircraft is capable of staying in the air for more than 40 hours at altitudes of up to 13,700 meters, developing a cruising speed of about 500 km/h. Its payload is 2,300 kg.

The system is certified according to NATO standard STANAG 4671 and complies with civil aviation regulations. This will allow the drone to fly in non-segregated airspace without restrictions.

It should be noted that in October 2025, the project moved to the prototype production stage after successfully completing a critical design review.

The next stage will be ground tests to prepare the system for its first flight.

And in 2021, the European Union allocated a €100 million grant to Eurodrone to the OCCAR defense agency.

The funds were allocated as part of the European Defence Industry Development Program, an EU initiative aimed at developing the European Union’s defense industry.