Airbus Helicopters: DGA qualifies the vertical take-off version of the Aliaca drone
The green light from the French Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) authorises the entry into operational service of this system under the SMDM contract (Shipborne Mini-Drone System for the Navy), according to a press release from Airbus Helicopters published on 2 November 2026 from Marignane. The first two systems were delivered to the French Navy in September.
Eight of the 34 systems ordered by the DGA in VTOL version
The qualification follows a test campaign conducted on land and at sea in May and June 2026, in collaboration with the French Navy. Of the 34 systems ordered by the DGA, each consisting of two drones, eight will be fitted with this vertical take-off and landing version.
This variant is intended to equip metropolitan (BSAM) and overseas (BSAOM) support and assistance vessels. It will support maritime sovereignty and security missions in the Indo-Pacific and the Caribbean, from home ports located in New Caledonia, French Polynesia, La Réunion and Martinique.
A variant based on the fixed-wing model in service since 2022
Already qualified by the DGA in its initial fixed-wing configuration, the U010 Aliaca has been in service since 2022 under the SMDM contract. It equips patrol vessels (PHM/POM) and surveillance frigates, and has been carrying out search and rescue missions in the English Channel since 2023.
The new version shares with the rest of the range a common ground control station and operating system. According to Airbus Helicopters, this technical continuity gives French Navy crews intuitive handling and enables an immediate operational transition.
Victor Gerin-Roze, Director of Drone Programmes at Airbus Helicopters, stated: “The DGA qualification is a major milestone and reflects the confidence placed in the performance of our technologies.” He added that this joint work had made it possible to deliver a system “ready for immediate operational deployment.”
