Drones Take Center Stage at Paris Air Show Amid High Demand Fueled by Ukraine Conflict

The Paris Air Show, the world’s largest aerospace event, is showcasing a variety of drones that can carry weapons or deliver explosives on the battlefield. The growing use of these unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine has increased the interest and demand for such devices.

One of the most prominent drone models on display is the Aarok, developed by French firm Turgis and Gaillard. The Aarok is a 5.5-tonne UAV that can stay aloft for up to 24 hours and carry out surveillance or strike missions. The company claims that the Aarok fills a gap in the French armed forces, which currently rely on American-made Reaper drones.

The Aarok is also cheaper and more autonomous than the Reaper, as it does not require any American components or export authorisations. The Aarok is designed to fit in with President Emmanuel Macron’s vision of European “strategic autonomy” from other global powers.

Other drone manufacturers at the Paris Air Show include General Atomics, Airbus, Safran, and KNDS. They offer different types of drones, ranging from medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UAVs to self-detonating drones, also known as loitering munitions.

These drones are capable of hovering over a target area and delivering an explosive payload with high precision. They have been widely used by Turkey and Azerbaijan in their conflicts with Armenia and Syria, as well as by Israel against Hamas in Gaza.

According to French senator Cedric Perrin, who has written several reports on drones, France and other European countries are “quite behind” in developing self-detonating drones. He said that this is a “big deal” and that the industry is getting more interested in it.

The Paris Air Show runs from June 19 to June 25 and features more than 2,000 exhibitors from 50 countries. It is expected to attract more than 300,000 visitors and generate billions of euros in business deals.