France orders eight Airbus U050 Capa-X drones for Navy and Army trials after successful land and sea evaluation campaign

France's Aeronautical Maintenance Directorate ordered four Airbus U050 Capa-X systems, each comprising two drones, for evaluation by the French Navy and Army under the SDTL light tactical drone programme. The eight aircraft are scheduled for delivery in 2027, split equally between two naval and two army systems. During 2025-26 land and sea trials, the 120-kilogram platform demonstrated seven hours of endurance, a 100-kilometre operational range, dual-payload operation and a complete system deployable on two pickup trucks. The initial configuration combines an electro-optical imagery pod with signals intelligence, while the modular airframe supports up to 10 hours of endurance and 20 kilograms of payload.