Dassault questions continued relevance of Eurodrone

Seen as a full-scale mockup at the ILA Berlin Airshow 2026 in June, the Eurodrone may no longer be operationally relevant even before it has entered service, according to the head of one of the programme's prime contractors. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)

The Eurodrone medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aircraft system (UAS) being developed by France, Germany, Italy and Spain may no longer be operationally relevant, Dassault CEO Éric Trappier said on 1 July 2026.

Speaking to the French Senate, Trappier said that, in an age where allied air superiority is not guaranteed, the Eurodrone may find itself “a fairly easy target” in any future conflict.

“A Eurodrone over the Sahel [region of North Africa] – it is true that is has long endurance and good surveillance capabilities, [and so] a drone like that must have some relevance. But in an armed conflict where air superiority isn't absolute, or at least where the threat from the ground remains, it is likely a fairly easy target,” Trappier said.

Dassault is one of the three prime national partner companies on the Eurodrone, alongside Airbus Defence and Space (DS) which is leading the project on behalf of Germany and Spain, and Leonardo for Italy. India and Japan are official observers on the programme.

Under previously announced plans, 20 systems would be developed and manufactured with each containing three aircraft and two ground control stations. Germany would receive seven systems and Italy five, while France and Spain would each receive four. However, in April 2026 France's 2024 - 2030 Military Programming Law (LPM) showed a significant reduction in the country's orders out to 2035. This update to the 2024 - 2030 LPM caused French national media to posit that the country was withdrawing from the programme.