France’s defence procurement agency DMAé has placed an order for four additional Airbus U050 Capa-X tactical drone systems, split evenly between the French Navy and the French Army. Each system includes two unmanned aerial vehicles, taking the total to eight drones, with deliveries due in 2027 under the country’s light tactical drone system evaluation programme.
The order follows land and sea trials of an initial U050 Capa-X system acquired in late 2025. Airbus describes the platform as a 120kg tactical unmanned aerial system with a range of up to 100km, a payload capacity of 20kg and a demonstrated endurance of about seven hours in trials, versus an advertised maximum of 10 hours. The modular system is intended for reconnaissance and other tactical missions across naval and land environments.
The new procurement extends France’s work to validate a domestic tactical drone capability for military use. Airbus has positioned the U050 Capa-X within the SDTL programme, which is assessing light tactical drones for the armed forces. No contract value was disclosed.