French companies Renault and Turgis Gaillard partner to make drones for Ukraine – FT
French carmaker Renault has agreed to cooperate with French defence company Turgis Gaillard to produce drones for Ukraine in a move supported by the French Ministry of Defence.
Source: Financial Times
Details: Renault said the drones are to be manufactured at two of its sites, but the details of the contract – its value and planned production volumes – have not been disclosed.
"We were contacted for our production and creative industrial expertise. This project is ongoing and is led by the defence ministry. We confirm our participation in this project, at the request of the state," Renault director Fabrice Cambolive said.
Neither Renault nor Turgis Gaillard has specified whether the drones will be offensive, defensive or for surveillance activities. The exact production sites have also not yet been confirmed.
The Financial Times reported that drones remain a key element of Ukraine's defence, particularly in deterring Russia's advance and striking Russian infrastructure in the rear.
The French carmaker has previously produced military equipment, including tanks used in World War I and World War II.
Turgis Gaillard, founded in 2011, has around 400 employees and an annual revenue of about €80 million. Its products include the AAROK heavy medium-altitude drone, capable of carrying large amounts of fuel, weapons or equipment.
The agreement is said to have followed a request from the French government, which in early June 2025 urged automotive and defence companies to join forces to create drone production lines.
On 9 June, it emerged that Renault could deploy UAV production in Ukraine, working with a small defence company to set up manufacturing lines dozens or hundreds of kilometres from the front lines.
However, two months later, French trade unions said that the idea of assembling drones for Ukraine had caused concern among some Renault employees.
Reports in 2023 indicated that Turgis Gaillard's AAROK drone was set for production in Ukraine alongside Ukrainian company Antonov, with finished units expected in 2024. To date, there has been no public confirmation that production has begun or that any completed AAROK drones are in the country.
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