The Aarok drone can carry up to 1,500 kg of weapons and exceeds the capabilities of the American MQ-9 Reaper.
The French company Turgis & Gaillard signed an agreement with the Ukrainian company Antonov on the joint production of a smaller and cheaper version of the Aarok MALE drone. The LaTribune reports.
It was noted that the agreement was signed during the visit of French Defense Minister Sebastian Lecornu to Kyiv on September 28.
As the president and founder of Turgis & Gaillard, Fanny Turgis, said, the drone “should fly in Ukraine next year.”
According to him, after signing the agreement, the Ukrainian and French sides must agree on all subsequent actions at the industrial and operational level to start drone production. In particular, you need to decide on the location for collecting the drone and decide which French and Ukrainian equipment to choose for this UAV.
The Aarok drone, to be manufactured by Antonov, is intended only for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The Aarok is a mid-altitude, long-endurance drone that carries a variety of sensors and weapons depending on the mission. The maximum speed of the drone is 463 km/h. It can fly for 30 hours and does not require any ready infrastructure. The drone can carry up to 1,500 kg of weapons and exceeds the capabilities of the MQ-9 Reaper. The Aarok drone was presented at the Paris Air Show in June 2023.
Let’s recall that France and Ukraine concluded about ten agreements on cooperation in the field of the military-industrial complex.
It was also reported that the Turkish company Baykar, which produces the Bayraktar TB2 combat drone, will invest $100 million in three projects in Ukraine. The construction of the drone production plant will be completed in a year and a half.
As you know, in Ukraine three state defense factories have already started production of FPV drones.
Source: korrespondent
I’m Liza Grey, an experienced news writer and author at the Buna Times. I specialize in writing about economic issues, with a focus on uncovering stories that have a positive impact on society. With over seven years of experience in the news industry, I am highly knowledgeable about current events and the ways in which they affect our daily lives.