The French armed forces have ordered eight Airbus U050 Capa-X uncrewed aircraft for the French Army and Navy following land and sea trials.
France’s Aeronautical Maintenance Directorate (Direction de la maintenance aéronautique, DMAé) ordered four systems, each comprising two aircraft, Airbus announced on September 10, 2026.
Two systems will go to the French Navy and two to the French Army under the Light Tactical Drone System (Système de drone tactique léger, SDTL) evaluation program. Deliveries are scheduled for 2027. Airbus did not disclose the contract value.
The order follows the acquisition of an initial Capa-X system in late 2025, which Airbus said was subsequently tested by several branches of the French armed forces.
Capa-X demonstrated seven-hour endurance
During the evaluation, the Capa-X demonstrated seven hours of endurance while carrying two payloads and operating at ranges of up to 100 kilometers (62 miles).
Airbus said the system met the requirements of the SDTL program and could be transported using two pickup trucks.
The company advertises a maximum endurance of more than 10 hours, depending on payload and configuration.
The U050 has a maximum takeoff weight of 120 kilograms (265 pounds) and can carry up to 20 kilograms (44 pounds). In its long-wing configuration, it has a six-meter (19.7-foot) wingspan.
The aircraft can operate in conventional or vertical takeoff and landing configurations, allowing it to deploy without a runway.
French drones to carry imagery and signals intelligence sensors
The aircraft ordered by France will initially carry an electro-optical payload for imagery intelligence (IMINT) and a signals intelligence (SIGINT) capability.
Airbus said additional sensors and mission equipment can be integrated as requirements evolve.
The company lists intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), target tracking, communications relay, electronic warfare and battlefield support among the platform’s potential missions.
The U050 was developed by Survey Copter, the French tactical drone manufacturer owned by Airbus. In October 2025, Airbus placed Survey Copter’s tactical UAS portfolio, including the Capa-X and Aliaca, under Airbus Helicopters as part of a consolidation of its uncrewed aircraft activities.
The French Ministry of the Armed Forces displayed the Capa-X at Eurosatory in June 2026, when it described the system as not yet operationally deployed.
Airbus said the latest order marks the U050’s entry into its “operational phase.”
The platform is also being developed under the European Defence Agency’s Multi Mission Unmanned Aircraft System (M2UAS) project, which is examining additional capabilities including electronic warfare and the deployment of airborne effects.
