Editor’s Note
This article details a new contract by France’s defense procurement agency for a large, diamond-winged drone, highlighting its potential as a domestically developed solution for the French military.
The French defense procurement agency (DGA) has signed a contract for the development of a large drone featuring diamond-shaped wings, which has piqued the interest of the French armed forces.
Could the French armed forces finally have the drone they need to bridge their technological gap? A low-cost, easily deployable vehicle from a truck, boat, or sandy runway, highly maneuverable, versatile… and 100% “Made in France”.
Fly-R, a startup founded in 2013 on the island of La Réunion and specializing in drones, caused a sensation at the Paris Air Show by unveiling its latest creation: the R2-600. This is a so-called “Medium Altitude Long Endurance” (MALE) drone, with hybrid propulsion, a 6-meter wingspan, and weighing 1.5 tons. Its design is spectacular: the craft features rhomboid wings, also referred to as diamond or lozenge-shaped wings, meaning they are folded back on themselves and integrated with the fuselage.
The concept is old – dating back to 1911 – but generations of engineers have struggled with it. Even major Israeli and American players, world leaders in drones, have not managed to find the winning technological formula…
