DGA chooses Exail and Thales to equip the French Navy with underwater drones

On November 7, 2024, during the Euronaval trade show, the French General Directorate for Armaments (DGA) signed an agreement with Exail and Thales to supply sixteen autonomous underwater drones to the French Navy. This contract is part of the SLAMF anti-mine warfare program. The drones, A18-M models developed by Exail, will integrate the SAMDIS 600 sonar created by Thales.

This firm order, potentially the largest in 2024 after that of the K-STERs, could be supplemented by a conditional tranche. The SLAMF program aims to modernize the Navy's mine warfare capabilities, in particular through the expanded use of autonomous systems to secure maritime deployments.