Paris-based defense technology startup Harmattan AI has made significant strides in the military tech landscape, having been awarded a multi-million-dollar contract by the French arms procurement agency (DGA) to provide 1,000 AI-enabled combat drones to the French Army. The contract stipulates that the drones will be delivered between October and December, and they are intended to enhance the training and operational preparedness of French soldiers, notably in the upcoming Orion 2026 multinational military exercise.
Mouad M’Ghari, CEO and Co-Founder of Harmattan AI, expressed a sense of pride over the contract, stating, “This is more than a contract. It’s a strong demonstration of trust and a validation of our mission.” The drones in question are classified as quadcopter micro-drones, designed with a weight of just 1.8 kilograms (4 pounds). The company has engineered these platforms to be “autonomous, scalable, and combat-ready,” aligning them with modern military requirements.
Key specifications of the drone include a flight range of 2 kilometers (1.24 miles) and an operational endurance of 40 minutes. In terms of payload, the drones are equipped with an electro-optical camera and can also be customized with an additional infrared camera, enhancing their versatility for various military applications. According to Harmattan AI, this development dovetails with a broader trend toward integrating software-defined, AI-enabled systems, which are crucial for quick decision-making and increased operational flexibility, particularly in complex environments.
The company’s approach merges deep expertise in artificial intelligence with proven hardware and software engineering, bolstered by an industrialized production capability designed for wartime resilience. Founded in April 2024, Harmattan AI has rapidly progressed, securing this contract just over a year after its inception and outperforming several established European competitors in the process.
The DGA indicated that the selection of Harmattan AI’s drone was grounded not only in low unit costs and rapid production capabilities but also on key technical performance criteria demonstrated during pre-contractual tests. M’Ghari emphasized the urgency of innovation in defense technology, stating, “We’re building next-generation defense technology that delivers battlefield relevance at unmatched speed. In just over a year, we’ve gone from concept to Prime contract. That’s the new standard we’re setting for the defense industry.”
As Harmattan AI prepares to deliver these advanced drones, the implications for military training and operational readiness in France, as well as potential future military collaborations, remain to be seen.
