France Orders Two Counterdrone Systems After Surge in Drone Threats.

France’s Ministry of the Armed Forces has urgently ordered two counterdrone systems following a surge in unidentified drone flights over sensitive military and industrial locations. The move highlights growing concern within the French armed forces over the ease with which low-cost drones can threaten critical national assets.

The French Ministry of the Armed Forces has placed an urgent order for two counterdrone systems after a sharp increase in unidentified drone activity near highly sensitive military and industrial sites, according to information published by the DMAé, the Direction de la Maintenance Aéronautique, on December 26, 2025. The decision, announced through an official LinkedIn communication, was taken under an operational emergency procedure, underscoring mounting anxiety within defense circles over the exposure of key infrastructure to small, difficult-to-trace aerial platforms.
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During the open days at Orange Air Base 115, TrustComs deployed its counterdrone systems to discreetly and effectively secure the perimeter despite extreme weather conditions. (Picture source: TRUSTCOMS)

Over the past several weeks, multiple incursions by unknown drones were recorded above the Mourmelon military training camp, a rail convoy transporting Leclerc main battle tanks in the Mulhouse Nord marshalling yard, Eurenco’s propellant manufacturing facility in Bergerac, and the Île-Longue naval base in Brittany, which hosts the four nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines of the Strategic Oceanic Force. Drones were also detected over the Creil-Senlis Joint Interservice Hub, formerly Air Base 110, a site closely associated with the Directorate of Military Intelligence. In several instances, on-site forces attempted to neutralize the intruding drones using handheld jamming rifles and, in extreme cases, 12-gauge shotguns, without success. Although investigations are still ongoing and no further incidents have been officially reported since December 8, the episodes have triggered alarm at the highest levels of the defense establishment.

The issue has also surfaced in Parliament. During a hearing in October, the Chief of Staff of the French Air and Space Force, General Jérôme Bellanger, warned lawmakers about the exposure of air bases to saturation attacks by swarms of drones. Referring to a recent large-scale exercise based on such a scenario, he conceded that the outcome was “perfectible,” an unusually candid assessment that highlighted the limits of existing defensive layers when confronted with coordinated unmanned threats.

This concern persists despite the significant counterdrone capabilities already fielded by the French armed forces. The Air and Space Force operates systems such as MILAD, BASSALT, and PARADE, all designed to detect, track, and disrupt hostile drones, complemented by electronic warfare payloads deployed on Fennec helicopters. The French Army has pursued parallel developments, including the PROTEUS system, which integrates a 20 mm anti-aircraft cannon mounted on a 53T2 towed carriage with the SANDRA thermal imaging suite, a fire control computer, and artificial intelligence algorithms to enhance target recognition. Army units also operate ARLAD-equipped VAB vehicles and are evaluating newer solutions such as SPART, a portable intelligent jammer, and HADDES, a passive radiofrequency detection system with embedded AI developed by M2 Technologies.

Against this backdrop, the DMAé announced that it had notified two global support contracts to the French company TRUSTCOMS on December 26 for the acquisition of Infodrone beacons and DroneBlocker systems. In its statement, the DMAé explicitly cited the “accroissement de la menace drone” both on national territory and in overseas theaters where French forces are deployed alongside allied partners. The use of an operational emergency procedure underscores the assessment that existing systems, while capable, required rapid reinforcement to close immediate gaps.

The Infodrone system is designed to detect and localize drones through their Direct Remote Identification signal, a digital beacon now mandatory on most commercially available UAVs. TRUSTCOMS estimates that around 95 percent of drones can be detected using this method. Compact, lightweight, and simple to operate, Infodrone is presented by the company as the only solution currently deployed at an industrial scale in France to exploit DRI signals for security and defense applications. This capability is particularly valuable for the protection of fixed sites and sensitive events, where rapid identification of non-cooperative drones is critical.

DroneBlocker provides the neutralization layer. According to TRUSTCOMS, the system can detect and neutralize up to 99 percent of drones through continuous electronic jamming of radiofrequency control links and satellite navigation signals. A notable feature is its ability to discriminate and manage friendly drones, reducing operational friction in environments where military and authorized UAVs operate alongside potential threats. The system is also optimized for use in dense urban areas, where multipath effects and radiofrequency congestion often degrade traditional counterdrone solutions.

For French defense officials, the rapid acquisition of these systems reflects a broader strategic shift. Recent drone overflights of nuclear deterrence assets, ammunition production sites, and intelligence hubs have demonstrated how relatively unsophisticated platforms can generate significant strategic, political, and psychological effects. A senior officer involved in base protection planning told Army Recognition that the incidents have accelerated internal debates about layered air defense below traditional radar coverage and the need for faster procurement cycles. “We are no longer dealing with isolated curiosities,” he said. “These are probing actions, and they force us to adapt in real time.”

The contracts awarded to TRUSTCOMS are not intended to replace existing counterdrone programs but to provide immediately deployable, complementary capabilities while longer-term solutions continue to mature. As the investigations into the recent incursions continue, the deployment of Infodrone and DroneBlocker systems is expected to strengthen the protection of France’s most sensitive military sites and contribute to a more resilient national counterdrone posture in an increasingly contested low-altitude airspace.