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Renault has been asked by the French government to manufacture drones in Ukraine, as unmanned aircraft systems have become a central pillar of Kyiv’s defiance of Moscow’s military aggression.
The French carmaker would collaborate with a small drone specialist to mass produce drones under the plans, in the first move by French businesses to manufacture weapons on Ukrainian soil.
France’s defence minister Sébastien Lecornu told broadcaster LCI on Friday evening that the country’s car and defence companies would work together to set up production lines in a “completely unprecedented partnership” to supply Ukrainian forces with drones.
Renault confirmed on Sunday night that it had been approached by France’s Ministry of the Armed Forces.
“Discussions have taken place, no decision is taken at this stage because we are waiting for details on this project from the ministry,” said Renault.
The move would mark the first time that the carmaker has manufactured defence equipment since the second world war, when its R35 tanks were used unsuccessfully against German Panzers in the Battle of France.
The initiative comes as drones have become a central pillar of Ukraine’s military strategy. They were key to last week’s attack on Russian military airfields thousands of kilometres from Kyiv, in a sign of how drone technology has helped transform military tactics.
In the past few years, the Ukrainian front line has been dominated by drones, and French production lines would help bolster manufacturing of the equipment. Lecornu said the US desire to disengage from Ukraine had created a “wake-up moment” where European countries would need to provide more “robust” security guarantees for the country.
Kyiv has pushed for western companies to invest in the country’s defence industries and set up joint ventures with local weapons manufacturers. German arms contractor Rheinmetall is building an ammunition plant in Ukraine, which is set to begin production next year, chief executive Armin Papperger said in February during the Munich Security Conference. The company was already in Ukraine, operating a facility to repair foreign-made military equipment.
Kyiv has said it has attracted more than 40 foreign defence companies to Ukraine. In February, Ukraine’s minister of strategic industries Herman Smetanin announced that the French aviation and defence electronics group Thales had signed an agreement to establish a joint venture with the Ukrainian state-owned defence conglomerate Ukroboronprom.
The JV will specialise in technological solutions for strengthening air defence, radars, electronic warfare and tactical communications, Smetanin said at the time.
Lecornu last week said the move by French companies to produce drones in Ukraine would be a “win-win situation” that would also benefit the French army by having “permanent tactical and operational training that’s linked to the reality of this front line”.
Local workers would be employed to operate the lines in Ukraine and the companies would not need to send French workers there, Lecornu added. It is unclear what kind of drones would be manufactured by Renault if the plans were to be confirmed.
The French initiative comes as the fortunes of Europe’s car and defence industries diverge. Arms makers have seen orders soar 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.
In Germany, defence contractor Hensoldt has offered to recruit laid-off workers from under-pressure car parts suppliers, while Rheinmetall has said it is interested in acquiring Volkswagen’s idled car plants.
