The French Navy will become the first operator of Airbus Helicopters’ new vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) version of the Aliaca drone system.
On February 3, 2026, the French Directorate General of Armament (DGA) announced it had ordered a new version of the SMDM (Onboard Mini Aerial Drone Systems for the Navy) from Airbus (via its subsidiary Survey Copter) with deliveries scheduled to begin in May 2026.
The DGA has ordered a total of 34 Aliaca systems for the French Navy since 2022, but the latest version is equipped with four propellers, allowing for vertical takeoff and landing while maintaining its fixed-wing propulsion mode during the mission.
“We are proud to be able to deliver the VTOL version of the Aliaca to the French Navy for the first time. 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,” said Christophe Canguilhem, Aliaca Program Director at Airbus Helicopters.
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.”
Unveiled in April 2025, the Aliaca VTOL was developed in less than a year from a version already proven in operations within the French Navy.
It has a maximum takeoff weight of 25 kg, a wingspan of 3.5 meters, a length of 2.1 meters and can operate for two hours at a range of 50 km.
Aliaca is equipped with a camera, a high-performance gyro-stabilized electro-optical/infrared system, and an Automatic Identification System that is capable of identifying a ship within a radius of several hundred kilometers.
Qualified by the DGA and operational since 2022 as the “remote binoculars” of the French Navy, the SMDM currently equips patrol vessels.
This new configuration of the SMDM will enter a qualification phase by the DGA in early 2026 for land and sea trials before being declared operational.
