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French Navy Creates Shipborne UAV Squadron

The French Navy will make Flottille 36F, based at Hyères, near Toulon, its first shipborne unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) squadron.

The move will see Flottille 36F operate the Schiebel S-100 Camcopter UAVs, which will be deployed onboard the navy’s Mistral-class landing helicopter dock ships. The squadron currently operates the AS565SA Panther helicopter.

The decision to form a dedicated UAV parent squadron reflects the French Navy’s desire to concentrate unmanned aviation expertise into a single specialised entity. Previous internal studies had explored a number of options, ranging from the creation of a brand new dedicated UAV unit to the formation of flights within Flottilles 31F, 35F, or 36F (all of which are based in Hyères).