Renault to team up with French defence group to make drones for Ukraine

Renault has reached a deal with a French defence company to make drones for Ukraine, in a move backed by France’s defence ministry to support Kyiv against Russian aggression.

Renault said it would work with Turgis Gaillard to produce drones at two of its sites but declined to comment on the value of the contract or the number of drones to be produced.

“We were contacted for our production and creative industrial expertise. This project is ongoing and is led by the defence ministry. We confirm our participation in this project, at the request of the state,” Renault director Fabrice Cambolive told broadcaster BFM Business on Tuesday.

The contract comes after a request by the French government in June for car and defence companies to work together on drone production lines. Drones have been a central part of Ukraine’s military strategy, helping the country fend off Russian advances and also strike infrastructure deep in Russian territory.

The French carmaker has previously manufactured defence equipment, including tanks used in the first and second world wars.

Renault and Cambolive declined to specify whether the drones would be offensive, defensive or for surveillance activities. The defence ministry and Turgis Gaillard did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Renault sites where the drones will be made have not yet been confirmed, the company said.

Turgis Gaillard is a French defence business founded in 2011 that employs about 400 people and has revenues of €80mn. Its products include a 20-metre medium-altitude long-endurance drone called AAROK that can carry almost three tonnes of fuel, weapons or equipment.

The French initiative comes as the fortunes of Europe’s car and defence industries diverge. Orders for arms makers have soared as the continent increases defence spending, while the automotive sector has struggled with the shift from traditional engines to electric vehicles as well as from Chinese competition.