France has completed tests of the Colibri kamikaze drone and the first batch of such munitions will soon arrive in Ukraine
French Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu has reported the successful testing of the Colibri barrage munition, the first batch of which will soon arrive in Ukraine.
Here's What We Know
French military and engineers have successfully tested the Colibri kamikaze drone and made sure that it fully meets the stated objectives and is ready for delivery to Ukraine.
The minister said that the development of such a drone was an important step towards strengthening France's sovereignty and support for allies, including Ukraine.
Succès des essais de la première munition télé opérée - aussi appelée drone kamikaze - française.
- Sébastien Lecornu (@SebLecornu) October 16, 2024
Reconquête de souveraineté sur ce segment clé pour nos armées, en moins de deux ans.
Livraisons à l'Ukraine et à nos forces dans les prochaines semaines. pic.twitter.com/QfewB0gIAm
Colibri's main target is lightly armoured vehicles and infantry. It takes only 5 minutes to launch such a drone, making it extremely effective in real-world combat situations.
Colibri is based on the UX11 drone, originally developed for photogrammetric purposes. It has a polystyrene body and is equipped with a two-bladed pusher propeller and an electric motor located at the rear of the wing.
The Colibri's wingspan is 1.1 metres and the drone's total mass, including payload, is 1.5kg. It has a maximum munition speed of 54 km/h and a maximum altitude of 6,000 metres.
It can spend 45 minutes in the air and maintains encrypted communication with the operator up to 25 kilometres away.
The Colibri has been successfully used in conditions of suppressed GPS navigation and is compliant with NATO STANAG standards.
Source: Sébastien Lecornu
