France unveils SCX 26 destroyer concept with 96 missile cells to counter missile and drone attacks in the 2040s.

Naval Group unveiled the SCX 26 guided-missile destroyer concept at Euronaval 2026 in Paris on November 3, 2026, proposing an 8,000-to-10,000-tonne stealth warship equipped with 96 baseline vertical-launch system (VLS) cells, an electromagnetic railgun, a 100 kW laser, and extensive facilities for aerial, surface, and underwater drones. Designed for prospective 2040s operational demands, the 170-meter vessel can expand its missile capacity beyond 100 interceptors while housing 150 crew members and up to 100 specialists for fleet command and uncrewed vehicle management. The multi-role design directly addresses missile saturation vulnerabilities, hypersonic threats, and distributed naval combat tactics demonstrated in recent Black Sea and Red Sea engagements.

The SCX 26 concept combines 96 Sylver vertical launch missile positions with an electromagnetic railgun, a 100 kW laser, a 57 mm naval gun, and two Rampart launchers for layered defense against aerial and surface threats. (Picture source: Army Recognition)

On November 3, 2026, Naval Group unveiled the SCX 26 at Euronaval in Paris, a new guided-missile destroyer (DDG) concept that combines a baseline of 96 vertical-launch missile cells (VLS) with an expandable capacity for more than 100 missiles, an electromagnetic railgun, a 100 kW laser, and extensive facilities for aerial, surface, and underwater drones. Developed for potential naval requirements in the 2040s, the French vessel, which shares strong visual lineage and hydrodynamic concepts with the FDI frigate, has a 24 m beam, a 170 m length, a nominal displacement of 8,000 tonnes and a projected full-load displacement of 10,000 tonnes.

Its combined diesel-electric and gas turbine (CODLAG) propulsion would provide a speed of 30 knots and a range of more than 8,000 nautical miles, while accommodation for 150 sailors and up to 100 additional specialists would support fleet command, intelligence, and autonomous operations. Its two separated superstructures, a central modular area, UHF ballistic missile surveillance radar, Sea Fire-type multifunction radar, and comprehensive sonar equipment are intended to combine the functions of a missile destroyer, an anti-submarine warfare vessel, and a drone-support ship. Although hydrodynamic model testing has begun, no French Navy acquisition program, construction schedule, or procurement cost has been established.

Related topic: UK cancels Type 83 destroyer for new Hybrid Navy concept amid severe personnel shortage crisis

The SCX 26 responds to the emerging operational problems demonstrated by Russia's losses in the Black Sea since 2022 and sustained Houthi and Iranian missile and drone attacks in the Red Sea. On April 14, 2022, the Russian cruiser Moskva sank following a Ukrainian Neptune anti-ship missile attack, despite carrying 64 S-300F and 40 Osa-MA surface-to-air missiles. Ukraine subsequently employed Magura V5 and Sea Baby unmanned surface vessels against Russian warships, while Houthi forces have combined one-way UAVs, anti-ship cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles since late 2023. These engagements exposed the limited missile inventories of individual warships and the difficulty of sustaining defense against repeated and coordinated attacks. The SCX 26's 96 conventional launch positions would double the VLS capacity aboard France's Horizon-class frigates and triple the number aboard the FREMM air defense vessels Alsace and Lorraine.

How Naval Group's SCX 26 could carry more missiles than France's current frigates

However, missile capacity alone does not determine the number of simultaneous engagements, which remains dependent on radar performance, fire-control resources, and weapon availability. The SCX 26 consequently combines its main missile battery with two Rampart launchers, a 57 mm gun, remotely controlled secondary artillery, a 100 kW laser, and potentially expendable interceptor drones. However, a larger magazine increases endurance rather than simultaneous engagement capacity. The missile arrangement comprises twelve eight-cell Sylver modules, with 64 positions forward and 32 aft, potentially accommodating Aster 30 surface-to-air missiles and MdCN cruise missiles. Sylver A50 launchers support Aster interceptors, while A70 cells accommodate the MdCN, whose range exceeds 1,000 km. Allocating 16 cells to those land-attack missiles would leave 80 conventional positions for other weapons, compared with 64 if 32 MdCN missiles were embarked.

The Aster 30 could provide area air defense at ranges exceeding 120 km under suitable conditions, while the developing B1NT variant addresses more demanding ballistic threats. Naval Group's proposed cold-launch arrangement could accommodate 24 CAMM missiles within the volume of eight Sylver cells, raising an illustrative 96-missile inventory to 112 with one substituted module or 128 with two. The developing Sylver NG and central modular area offer further growth possibilities, although no final configuration exists. For ballistic missile surveillance, a UHF radar operating within the 300 MHz to 3 GHz band would complement a Sea Fire-type AESA radar responsible for more precise tracking and engagement functions. Japan's two planned Aegis System Equipped Vessels (ASEVs), combining SPY-7 radar with projected 128-cell batteries, illustrate a more specialized alternative emphasizing ballistic missile defense rather than the SCX 26's broader mission requirements. 

Railguns and lasers - How the SCX 26 could defend itself against missiles and drones

The electromagnetic railgun, 100 kW laser, and two Rampart launchers are intended to reduce expenditure of conventional missile interceptors, although their maturity and engagement characteristics differ. The railgun would accelerate projectiles electrically, requiring high-current pulse equipment and energy storage rather than conventional propellant charges. For comparison, accelerating a hypothetical 10 kg projectile to 2,000 m/s requires 20 MJ of muzzle energy, excluding electrical losses; six such rounds per minute would represent 2 MW of average projectile power. These figures illustrate the electrical demands rather than an established SCX 26 specification, since its gun caliber, muzzle velocity, firing rate, and stored-energy capacity remain undisclosed. Globally, the U.S. Navy suspended its railgun development in 2021 after difficulties involving barrel durability and integration, while Japan continued shipboard experiments aboard JS Asuka through 2025.

The laser would emit 100 kJ of optical energy per second, but successful engagements depend on beam stabilization, target illumination time, atmospheric conditions, and cooling. Its elevated installation improves firing arcs, while rain, fog, and sea spray could reduce effectiveness. The Rampart would complement these weapons with short-range missiles, guided rockets, and active decoys, including potential SkyKnight interceptors following Naval Group's June 2026 cooperation with EDGE. A 57 mm gun and lighter remotely operated artillery complete the SCX 26's close-range arrangement. Consequently, integrating all these systems within a 170 m hull would impose considerable demands on the SCX 26's propulsion, electrical generation, cooling, and internal arrangements.

The 170-meter destroyer concept features two separated, angular superstructures intended to reduce radar signatures and improve survivability, with a modular central section and an aft aviation deck connected to internal facilities for helicopters and unmanned vehicles. (Picture source: Army Recognition)

How Naval Group designed the SCX 26 for stealth and survivability

Its proposed CODLAG system would employ electric propulsion during cruising and gas-turbine power for higher speeds, combining the potential acoustic advantages of electrically driven propellers, such as the reduction of acoustic noise during anti-submarine operations, with the power needed to reach 30 knots. Nevertheless, the electromagnetic gun would impose short-duration electrical loads, while propulsion motors, radar arrays, electronic warfare equipment, drone charging, and the laser require sustained power and cooling. No generator rating, energy-storage capacity, or electrical load budget has been disclosed, preventing assessment of simultaneous maximum-demand operations. For their part, the separated superstructures incorporate redundant bridges and sensors, while the missile battery is divided between the bow and stern to reduce vulnerability to localized damage.

Stealth surfaces also extend across the upper structures to address surveillance from aircraft and space-based radar systems. The central flexible zone could accommodate additional launchers, containers, or unmanned vehicles, following principles demonstrated by Denmark's StanFlex equipment system and Absalon-class ships. However, the U.S. Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) experience illustrates that modular equipment remains constrained by integration, certification, personnel, and maintenance requirements. The aft mission bay occupies nearly one-third of the SCX 26's hull beneath an aviation deck arranged for an NH90-sized helicopter and two smaller vertical-takeoff UAVs. A large elevator connects the deck with internal facilities for storing, preparing, maintaining, and recovering UAVs, USVs, AUVs, and helicopters.

Workshops, spare parts inventories, and additive-manufacturing equipment could support component repairs and limited production of expendable drones, although complete vehicles would still require propulsion units, batteries, electronics, and specialized payloads. The ship's hull sonar and towed arrays could operate alongside unmanned acoustic sensors and helicopters carrying dipping sonar or sonobuoys, extending anti-submarine surveillance beyond the combatant's immediate position. Ukraine's Magura V5 and Sea Baby operations illustrate offensive unmanned surface warfare, while the U.S. Navy's 41 m, 142-tonne Sea Hunter and Seahawk demonstrate longer-endurance autonomous surveillance. Such large USVs would operate independently of the SCX 26's internal bay, and their effectiveness would therefore depend on sustained sortie generation and distributed sensor coverage rather than the number of drones stored aboard. 

How the French SCX 26 compares with future American, British, and Japanese warships

The SCX 26's 150-person crew and 100 additional berths would consequently accommodate a task-force headquarters responsible for coordinating crewed ships and autonomous vehicles across aerial, surface, and underwater domains. Naval Group's Steeris technology provides a basis for autonomous navigation, mission planning, and supervision, but coordinating multiple vehicles would also require sensor fusion, task allocation, communications management, and human authorization of weapons employment. The U.S. Navy's Distributed Maritime Operations concept pursues comparable geographical dispersion, while Cooperative Engagement Capability and Naval Integrated Fire Control-Counter Air demonstrate how remotely generated tracks can support engagements beyond an individual ship's radar horizon.

RIMPAC 2022, Integrated Battle Problem 23.1 and 23.2, and experiments involving Ranger, Mariner, Sea Hunter, and Seahawk have already examined related autonomous fleet operations. France's next-generation aircraft carrier program also provides a potential basis for data-centric command architectures. However, jamming, spoofing, cyberattacks, and interrupted satellite communications could separate the SCX 26 from remotely deployed sensors, and autonomous vehicles would consequently need to continue assigned missions under degraded communications. International programs illustrate competing approaches to missile capacity, survivability, and fleet distribution.

The U.S. Navy's DDG(X) concept has examined 96 conventional VLS cells or alternatives incorporating larger launchers, alongside increased electrical generation and cooling capacity for future weapons. Japan's two ASEVs would concentrate SPY-7 radar and projected 128-cell missile batteries aboard large ballistic-missile defense combatants. Britain adopted a different approach on June 29, 2026, replacing its Type 83 destroyer concept with a Future Air Dominance System involving at least six crewed Common Combat Vessels and complementary unmanned assets.

Proposed Type 91 missile vessels, Type 92 underwater sensors, Type 93 extra-large underwater vehicles, and Type 94 aerial surveillance systems would distribute functions among independent assets. Preliminary Type 83 estimates exceeding £2.5 billion per vessel illustrate the acquisition pressures associated with large combatants, although distributed forces also require investment in communications, autonomy, and maintenance. The SCX 26 retains 96 conventional missile positions, command facilities, and drone logistics aboard one ship while extending surveillance through unmanned systems. This reduces dependence on separate support vessels for some missions but concentrates multiple capabilities in a single high-value target, which was already seen with the Trump-class battleship.

Explore More Defense News

• Land Defense News
• Naval Defense News
• Defense Aerospace News

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, South Korea, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.