Drone Volt presents its Heliplane drone in Madagascar during Catherine Vautrin's visit
The French professional drone manufacturer took advantage of the official visit by Catherine Vautrin, Minister of Defence and War Veterans, dedicated to strengthening Franco-Malagasy cooperation in defence matters, according to a press release published on 21 October 2026.
On this occasion, the minister indicated that by the end of the year, around a hundred drones will have been made available to the Malagasy Armed Forces, whose future remote pilots are being trained by the FAZSOI (Armed Forces in the southern Indian Ocean zone).
An electric drone with vertical takeoff and landing for surveillance and reconnaissance
The device presented, the Heliplane 340 LRS Pro DEF/SEC, is a fully electrically propelled drone that combines vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and fixed-wing horizontal flight. This architecture allows it to be deployed without a runway while maintaining the performance of a fixed wing for long-distance missions.
With a wingspan of 3.40 metres and a length of 1.50 metres, it has an endurance of up to 2 hours of flight, with a range of up to approximately 300 km. Its maximum speed can reach 119 km/h and it can operate in winds of up to 40 km/h. Transportable in a light vehicle, it is operable by a single person.
It can carry up to 3 kg of payload. In its DEF/SEC configuration, it is notably designed to receive an electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) camera, intended for day and night surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
Drone Volt intends it for the surveillance of vast territories, coastal areas and maritime approaches, as well as for operations in environments lacking infrastructure. According to the press release, the drones can also contribute to supporting humanitarian operations, providing support for engineering work and interventions on constrained terrain.
An electric range focused on defence and security
The group presents this demonstration as an illustration of its strategy aimed at "offering products and services to meet the specific needs of defence and security actors". This is a reminder of this development axis, not a new decision.
To do this, Drone Volt is developing in particular a range of fully electric professional drones covering notably surveillance, reconnaissance and inspection missions, as well as the transport of heavy loads of up to 100 kg.
Marc Courcelle, Chief Executive Officer of Drone Volt, stated: "With the HELIPLANE 340 LRS PRO DEF/SEC, DRONE VOLT offers a surveillance and reconnaissance platform capable of being rapidly deployed in the field, including in isolated or difficult-to-access environments. Its presentation in Madagascar, on the occasion of the visit by the Minister of Defence and War Veterans, illustrates DRONE VOLT's ability to position itself to meet demanding defence and security needs, both in France and internationally." The company's next milestone is scheduled for January 2027, with the publication of its annual revenue.
