- France’s defense procurement agency ordered a VTOL version of Airbus’ Aliaca uncrewed aerial system, with deliveries to the French Navy set to begin in May 2026 after qualification.
- The Aliaca VTOL will expand ship-based surveillance and maritime security missions by removing the need for launch-and-recovery equipment while retaining existing sensors and ground stations.
The French Navy will become the first operator of Airbus’ Aliaca vertical take-off and landing uncrewed aerial system after France’s Directorate General of Armament ordered a new VTOL configuration under the SMDM program, Airbus Helicopters said on February 3, 2026.
According to Airbus Helicopters, the Directorate General of Armament (DGA) approved an amendment to the existing SMDM contract to deliver the Aliaca in a vertical take-off and landing configuration. Deliveries of the new version are scheduled to begin in May 2026, following a qualification campaign led by the DGA. The French government has ordered a total of 34 Aliaca systems for the Navy since 2022.
“We are proud to be able to deliver the VTOL version of the Aliaca to the French Navy for the first time,” said Christophe Canguilhem, Aliaca programme director at Airbus Helicopters. “The French Navy has successfully operated the Aliaca from its ships and from land for several years. The SMDM, as it is named in the French Navy, has demonstrated its full potential in operation,” he added. “With the VTOL version, the French Navy will be able to operate the Aliaca with even more flexibility. This amendment to the initial contract demonstrates that our solution is now mature and available for our customers worldwide.”
As noted by Airbus Helicopters, the Aliaca VTOL was tested on land and at sea at the end of 2024 and throughout 2025. The system was unveiled in April 2025 and developed in less than a year from a fixed-wing version already proven in operational service with the French Navy.
The Aliaca VTOL is a tactical mini-drone equipped with four propellers that allow vertical take-off and landing, while retaining fixed-wing propulsion during flight. The aircraft has a maximum take-off weight of 25 kilograms, a wingspan of 3.5 meters, and a length of 2.1 meters. It offers an endurance of up to two hours and an operational range of 50 kilometers.
The system is fitted with a camera, a gyro-stabilized electro-optical and infrared sensor, and an Automatic Identification System capable of identifying ships within a radius of several hundred kilometers, the company said. These capabilities are designed to support maritime surveillance and situational awareness missions from both sea and land-based platforms.
Airbus Helicopters stated that the VTOL version preserves the performance and architecture of the existing SMDM system while reducing deployment time and logistical demands. The absence of dedicated launch and recovery equipment allows operations from a wider range of vessels. Operators will continue to use the same ground control station already fielded with the fixed-wing version, which the company described as proven and easy to operate.
The SMDM has been qualified by the DGA and operational since 2022 as what the French Navy describes as its “remote binoculars.” The system currently equips high-sea patrol vessels, overseas patrol vessels, and surveillance frigates. Since the summer of 2023, it has also been deployed from the French coast to support search and rescue missions in the English Channel.
According to Airbus Helicopters, the VTOL configuration will allow the Aliaca to be deployed from additional classes of French Navy ships. Planned missions include maintaining tactical situational awareness, countering illegal activities, maritime traffic and coastal surveillance, search and rescue operations, and detection of suspicious behavior. In the longer term, the system is also expected to be operated from land as part of France’s coastal surveillance network.
The new VTOL configuration is scheduled to enter a DGA-led qualification phase in early 2026, covering both land and sea trials, before being declared operational. The existing fixed-wing version of the SMDM will remain in service aboard equipped vessels and will be maintained in operational condition for at least seven more years, Airbus Helicopters said.