French defense minister kicks off ‘pact’ with industry in rush to field naval drones

PARIS — The French government is kicking off a new “pact” with the defense industry aimed at fostering a national ecosystem of drone makers that can quickly make new equipment tailored to its navy’s requirements. Minister of the Armed Forces Catherine Vautrin announced the initiative on Nov. 3, the first day of the Euronaval defense trade show, describing it as a novel mechanism for “converging” the needs of the armed forces. The plan is akin to what French officials have been doing in the race to field new aerial drones, a technology that has become a fixture so central to modern combat that…