On Tuesday, February 3, 2026, the European company Airbus Helicopters (part of the Airbus SE Group) announced that it had signed a contract with The French Directorate General of Armament (Direction générale de l’armement, DGA) under the Ministry for the Armed Forces and Veterans for the delivery of a new Aliaca VTOL (Vertical Take-off and Landing) mini-class uncrewed aerial vehicle under the SMDM (Marine Mini Airborne Drone Systems) program for the French Navy (Marine nationale).
Images: Airbus Helicopters
Since 2022, the Directorate has ordered a total of 34 Aliaca systems for the Navy. Deliveries of the new version will begin in May 2026, following the completion of the qualification campaign.
“We are proud to be able to deliver the VTOL version of the Aliaca to the French Navy for the first time,” said Christophe Canguilhem, Aliaca program director at Airbus Helicopters. “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,” 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.”
Aliaca VTOL was tested on land and at sea in late 2024 and throughout 2025. The Aliaca VTOL variant unveiled in April 2025 was developed in under a year on the basis of a version already proven in operational service with the French Navy (Marine nationale). This mini-class tactical drone, in its VTOL configuration, features four additional lift propellers enabling vertical takeoff and landing while retaining a rear pusher propeller for horizontal flight. Maximum takeoff weight is 25 kg, wingspan 3.5 m, and length 2.1 m. Endurance is up to 2 hours with a range of 50 km. The system is equipped with a high-performance GX-5 electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) payload with a Remote Video Terminal (RVT), as well as an Automatic Identification System (AIS) capable of identifying vessels at ranges of several hundred kilometers.
This SMDM evolution preserves the performance and architecture of the existing system while offering faster deployment and reduced logistical requirements thanks to the absence of launch and recovery systems. Operators retain the same ground control station, already proven and recognized for ease of use.
Qualified by the French Directorate General of Armaments (Direction générale de l’armement, DGA) and operational since 2022 as the French Navy’s “remote binoculars,” SMDM is currently deployed aboard PHM (Patrouilleurs de Haute Mer) and POM (Patrouilleurs Outre-mer) patrol vessels, as well as next-generation Belharra-class frigates. Since summer 2023, it has also been used off the French coast for search-and-rescue missions in the English Channel. The VTOL version will equip additional classes of French Navy vessels to conduct a wide range of missions: maintaining tactical situational awareness, countering illegal activities, maritime and coastal surveillance, search and rescue, and the detection of suspicious behavior. In the longer term, the system is also intended for land-based operations, supporting coastal surveillance networks.
The new SMDM configuration will enter the DGA qualification phase in early 2026, encompassing land and sea trials, before being declared operational. The fixed-wing SMDM variant will continue to be deployed aboard 20 equipped ships and maintained in operational condition for at least seven years.
Like the fixed-wing Aliaca, the new VTOL configuration will be available in two versions: an electric-powered variant (Aliaca VTOL Evo) offering up to 3 hours of endurance, a 50 km range, and a 2 kg payload; and a fuel-powered variant (Aliaca VTOL ER) with a hybrid engine, providing up to 6 hours of endurance, an 80 km range, and a 3 kg payload.
A new version of the SMDM, the Aliaca vertical uncrewed aerial system was tested on land & at sea in 2024 and 2025. The VTOL version will bring more flexibility to the French Navy.
Deliveries of this new version will begin this year following a qualification campaign. https://t.co/asfVFnSM1n— Airbus Helicopters (@AirbusHeli) February 3, 2026
