France Orders Airbus Aliaca VTOL Naval Drone to Boost Maritime Surveillance
Aviation News – France’s defence procurement agency has ordered a new vertical take-off and landing version of Airbus Helicopters’ Aliaca mini-drone to strengthen French Navy shipboard surveillance, marking a bolt-on upgrade to its growing unmanned fleet. The French Directorate General of Armament (DGA) selected Airbus Helicopters, through its subsidiary Survey Copter, to deliver the latest configuration of the Systèmes de Mini-Drones Aériens Embarqués (SMDM) programme.