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French Navy and DGA Evaluate Exail DriX O-16 USV in the Mediterranean
The French Navy and defense procurement agency are conducting Mediterranean sea trials of Exail's DriX O-16 unmanned surface vessel for anti-submarine and maritime surveillance missions. Seven evaluation campaigns had accumulated about 120 days at sea, with individual patrols progressing from five days to more than 20 days under Navy supervision. Exail personnel operate the vessel remotely, including from Toulon, as the service examines endurance, payload employment and command arrangements for multiple uncrewed craft. The trials are part of France's naval drones program and inform future requirements; they are not evidence of a completed fleet purchase.