France plans to boost drone production by 400%: reports
France plans to significantly expand its stockpiles of bombs, missiles and drones, , which has reportedly seen a draft law being prepared by the French government.
According to the publication, France aims to expand its stockpiles of loitering munitions (usually referred to as 鈥渒amikaze drones鈥) by 400% between 2027 and 2030. It also plans to increase guided bombs by 240% and Aster and MICA air defense missiles by 30%.
This decision, which has not yet been officially announced, is motivated by the observations from wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, where high intensity operations have often resulted in the quick depletion of aerial munitions inventories.
The French armed forces experienced the realities of munition stocks attrition in a modern drone warfare setting in early 2026.
In March 2026 it was reported that French Rafale fighters based in the Gulf had expended some 80 MICA air-to-air missiles against Shahed-type drones fired by Iran. This figure is said to represent a significant share of existing French missile stocks and also illustrates the challenges of asymmetric drone warfare, in which high-end, expensive missiles are used to down low-cost drones.
The latest reports of expanded munitions procurement follow earlier statements by 脡ric B茅ranger, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at European missile maker MBDA. B茅ranger stated that the firm is increasing the production of its Aster missile, which is used by the SAMP/T air defense systems, by 40% in 2026. MBDA also plans to invest 鈧5 billion to further expand production in the next four years.