From Concept to Sea Trials in Six Months: France Fast-Tracks SMOKERS Kamikaze USV

France's DGA has taken the SMOKERS one-way attack surface vessel from concept to sea trials in six months, with three prototypes deployed during the WildFire counter-drone exercise. The craft use resin-fiberglass hulls, commercial outboard motors and DGA-developed control software, with speeds around 40 knots and a target unit cost of a few tens of thousands of euros. More than four trial campaigns have assessed navigation, system functions and detectability by naval sensors. The DGA owns the design and intellectual property, enabling potential production by coastal shipyards if the Navy decides to procure it.