France to ramp up drone stockpiles by 400 percent by 2030 as war lessons expose critical shortages

France has announced plans to increase its military drone stockpiles by 400 percent before 2030, driven by lessons learned from the Russia-Ukraine conflict highlighting critical UAS inventory shortfalls. The expansion will cover tactical reconnaissance drones, loitering munitions, and potentially first-person-view attack systems. French defense procurement authority DGA is expected to issue a series of contracts to domestic and allied industry to meet the targets. The initiative reflects a broader European recognition that drone mass is now a central metric of land combat power.