French Army Launches Epervier Call For Compact Close-in FPV Counter-Drone Systems.

The French Defence Innovation Agency (AID) launched an Epervier call for compact, soldier-carriable systems to detect and neutralize fast FPV “kamikaze” drone, including fiber-tethered models, with a 15 m safety bubble requirement. The move responds to the rising use of FPV swarms on battlefields and disruptive overflights in Europe, and aims to put short-latency, low-collateral close-in countermeasures into squad hands quickly.

The Defence Innovation Agency announced on 2 October 2025 on X a call for proposals named Epervier on behalf of the Ministry of the Armed Forces. Units need a compact means to detect and neutralize FPV racer drones, including fiber-tethered models that are not affected by jamming. The requirement sets a 15-meter safety bubble around the protected element and calls for an all-weather day and night capability that can be carried by a dismounted soldier or mounted on a light vehicle. The terminal effect is left open from destruction to decoying through capture and jamming, with an interface to external systems for target designation. The context is Ukraine, where FPVs have become routine on the front line and where, on 1 June 2025, they were used against Russian bomber bases during the SBU’s Operation Spiderweb. That episode showed what a combination of low-cost drones trained pilots, and deep attack routes can achieve at relatively low cost.
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MC2 Technologies’ Flyjam, for example, offers a drone capable of creating a jamming bubble to neutralize commercial and military drones. (Picture source: MC2 Technologies)

Beyond the Ukrainian battlefield, where the 1 June operation demonstrated the strategic reach of FPV swarms against heavy bombers, recent incursions show that the threat also targets rear areas and civilian spaces. Munich Airport was temporarily closed after drone overflights disrupting thousands of passengers. In France, aircraft flew over the Mourmelon base, prompting reinforced measures around sensitive sites. In Denmark, the European Union requested anti drone support from several countries, indicating that protection of summits airport hubs and critical infrastructure is becoming a priority. At sea, drone and missile attacks claimed by the Houthis continue to expose commercial traffic. In this context, a compact system of the type sought under Epervier would not only serve infantry sections but could also equip gendarmerie patrols around airports base security teams, energy infrastructure operators, or naval detachments tasked with protecting port approaches with the same imperative detect quickly, classify correctly and neutralize at short range without causing collateral effects in dense environments.

Technically, Epervier targets a specific profile. An FPV arrives quickly has a small radar cross section and flies jagged trajectories above 100 kilometers per hour. The optics remain simple, yet the video link allows an operator to dive into a trench or aim at a weak point. If control runs through a fiber link, standard electronic warfare tools lose effect. This is not theoretical. NATO began framing the fiber FPV problem this year and, on the French side, the Counter Drone task force organized test weeks to provide industry with realistic moving scenarios. Those lessons inform the specification published by the Agency.

BA2D, designed by a non-commissioned officer from the 54th Signals Regiment, is an individual card-sized sensor that detects FPV emissions and, when possible, cuts the link. It is a modest  user-oriented and aligned with the Epervier approach. On the kinetic track, startups are advancing interceptors. Harmattan AI’s Gobi is the most visible example. It is a light drone with instant launch on board algorithms interception in under one minute a mass under two kilograms and measured speeds up to 250 kilometers per hour to deliver a direct impact sufficient to disable agile platforms.

Epervier therefore leaves room for layered effects. An RF network alerts, a camera or acoustic node refines the track, and a handheld effector or small turret completes the engagement. If control is via radio, a clean break of the link may suffice. If it is fibered, a projectile a micro interceptor or a net launcher becomes more credible. The critical parameter is latency. At 300 meters, a fast closing FPV gives only a few seconds to detect, classify aim and fire. Hence, the priority on very short chains and simple interfaces. Point and shoot takes precedence over heavy architectures.

For employment, the ministry seeks a solution that the infantry will keep with them. Weight will be decisive as will endurance. A box that lasts through a long patrol and still responds when a quad appears will see better adoption. Urban clutter and edges of woodland call for sensors that mesh even crudely to avoid track loss. Interfacing will also matter. Passing a quick cue from a squad radio to a vehicle turret at the press of a button is realistic and would be consequential if standardized.

The Ukrainian theater serves as a test bed. It has shown how inexpensive frames trained pilots and clever routing can affect columns, artillery parks and distant bases. The 1 June raid on Russian heavy bombers was the most visible example. It did not change the course of the war but it proved the vulnerability of costly aircraft on known aprons. In parallel, countermeasures are evolving in weeks. France has already launched dedicated trials and, with Epervier, is seeking to turn prototypes into issued equipment that a squad leader can sign for at the arms room. The mid November deadline suggests an intent to move rapidly to range testing. The threat is present, and the response needs to ride in the same vehicle as exposed troops.