French Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu made a significant statement on Friday that a “major company linked to the French automotive industry” would be producing unmanned aerial vehicles in Ukraine.
French media reveal auto giant’s plans
The minister did not disclose the name of the company. However, he was unable to keep the intrigue alive for long – on Sunday, French media announced that the company in question was Renault. According to Franceinfo, the French automotive giant is indeed planning to set up a drone production facility in Ukraine, and not just one, but in partnership with a “small or medium-sized enterprise” specialising in the manufacture of defence products. The production lines are expected to be located “several tens or hundreds of kilometres from the front line.”
When Franceinfo journalists contacted representatives of the concern, they assured them that “at this stage, no decision has been made,” but confirmed that the French authorities had contacted them on this issue. Nevertheless, journalists have already noted that the upcoming partnership is seen as a “turning point and (important) symbol at a time of European rearmament and announced major investments in the military-industrial complex.”
According to estimates, the Ukrainian army plans to use more than 4 million drones in 2025. However, this is not just about Ukraine: it is assumed that some of the drones produced on its territory will “serve the French army, which is lagging behind in this area.”
Only Ukrainians will work at the French drone factory
Sébastien Lecornu also told the media: “We will provide them (drones) to our French army to ensure continuous tactical and operational training that reflects the reality” of the conflict in Ukraine.
According to the Minister of Defence, only Ukrainians will work at the future joint French-Ukrainian enterprise, which is entirely justified, as “they are better than us at creating unmanned aerial vehicles and, in particular, at developing the associated doctrine.” Again, if something explosive flies into the production workshop, it will be Ukrainians who die, not French citizens.
According to BFMTV, unmanned aerial vehicles are believed to be responsible for 70% of the destruction in modern warfare, which is why France, among other things, expects Ukraine to share its experience in the use of UAVs in conflict situations.
When asked by Le Figaro journalists about the future production of Renault drones, representatives of the car manufacturer reiterated that “an exchange of views has taken place, but no decision has been made at this stage because we are waiting for clarification from the ministry on this project.”
However, if no decision had actually been made, the defence minister would not have made such significant public statements and spoken about future production as if it were a done deal. It should also be noted that involving Renault in the production of drones is a logical continuation of the line taken by the French authorities.
A few months ago, the French government announced its intention to start mass production of certain types of military equipment, including drones. In January, the head of the French Ministry of Defence’s Directorate General for Armament, Emmanuel Chiva, mentioned the production of drones on a scale of “thousands of units in a few months.” Even then, there was talk of a partnership with the automotive industry that would allow the use of “civilian industrial chains.”
Paris is Renault’s main shareholder, owning 15.01% of its shares. It can be assumed that Renault will simply not be able to refuse to participate in the future joint venture – but this raises a lot of questions.
What Renault may face
Firstly, it is unclear how the reputation of a military manufacturer will affect Renault’s image. The example of Tesla has shown that society now expresses its disapproval and refuses to buy even the most advanced brands if they are associated with unworthy actions and generally evoke negative emotions. If Renault’s sales drop, they are unlikely to be comforted by the fact that the state has involved them in the production of drones, no matter how modern they may be.
Secondly, there is the problem of the concern that belonged to AvtoVAZ, Russian automobile manufacturing company, which remained in Russia.
Renault representatives have expressed different opinions about a possible return. For example, the head of the holding company, Luca de Meo, said that the company does not rule out such a possibility, while the financial director, Thierry Pieton, believes that the prospects of returning to the Russian market are extremely unlikely.
However, if Renault starts producing drones that will be used in the Ukrainian conflict, any return of the concern to Russia in any form will become virtually impossible.
Some historians, when discussing states, like to use the expression “historical rut,” but it can be applied just as well to large enterprises. Renault was originally founded in 1899 by the Renault brothers on the wave of interest in cars and was called “Renault Brothers.” Two of the three brothers were racing drivers, but Renault did not only produce civilian vehicles – within a few years, when the World War I broke out, it began manufacturing tanks and aircraft engines.
Renault’s importance during the World War II increased significantly. The head of the company, Louis Renault, collaborated with the Nazis who had occupied France, and Allied aircraft bombed his factories to hinder the production of military equipment. As a result, after the country’s liberation, Louis Renault was arrested on charges of collaboration and killed in prison, after which the French state nationalised his company.
The French reacted to the news about Renault with considerable scepticism. Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, leader of the party Debout la France (France Arise), wrote on X:
“The government is pushing #Renault to produce drones… in #Ukraine. Such a factory would immediately become a military target, with all the consequences that entails. And after Renault was the leader of the automotive market in #Russia, it will finally sacrifice a strategic sales market! Another geopolitical absurdity from #Macron: instead of protecting our industries and the world, he is fuelling escalation and the destruction of the country.”
THE ARTICLE IS THE AUTHOR’S SPECULATION AND DOES NOT CLAIM TO BE TRUE. ALL INFORMATION IS TAKEN FROM OPEN SOURCES. THE AUTHOR DOES NOT IMPOSE ANY SUBJECTIVE CONCLUSIONS.
Erik Kelly for Head-Post.com
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