“No question of buying millions like Ukraine does”: “every soldier becomes a drone pilot” but the Chief of Staff of the Army calls for “only producing what is necessary to defend” France

The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have illustrated the central place that drones now occupy on the battlefield. This year, the Army must be equipped with 15,000 copies.

This is the omnipresent subject of the 2026 edition of Eurosatory, the international arms fair held in Villepinte: drones. These machines have revolutionized the way war is waged, whether on the Ukrainian front, in southern Lebanon or in the Persian Gulf. This observation is that of the Chief of Staff of the Army, General Pierre Schill. At the microphone of BFM Business, he observed this Friday, June 19 that “in the various battles, these drones are omnipresent”, which is why this subject is becoming “a reality to take into account” for France.

However, “there is no question of buying millions of drones like Ukraine is doing,” he pleads. Since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022, kyiv has invested massively in the field. With its FPV (First Personal View), long-range, land, naval and even enemy drone interceptor drones, Ukraine has become the world reference in this sector. When the Gulf countries suffered Iranian strikes in the spring, they turned to Volodymyr Zelensky. The objective: acquire their skills and equipment to defend themselves against Iranian drones.

Air&Defense: Exclusive interview with the Chief of Staff of the Army – 06/19

“The Limited Lifespan” of Drones

But France is not exposed like Ukraine has been for four years or like these Gulf countries have been. “We are lucky not to be at war,” he explains, one of the reasons why he refuses to enter into a logic of stocks as may be more the case for artillery shells.

“If I had stored my drones in a hangar a year ago, they would be less useful today,” said General Pierre Schill, speaking earlier in the week of “their limited lifespan”.

This expiration date for drones can also be explained by the rampant innovation in this area. “Drones as they exist today did not exist four years ago. Six months ago, if we had to bet on drones, we would have bet on those remotely controlled by video signal. Today, they are countered by jamming and we need wired drones”, illustrated the Chief of Staff of the Army de Terre earlier in the week, as part of the Eurosatory show.

“The pioneering spirit”

In the corridors of this event, drone operators now occupy pride of place. Several French companies have invested in the field, seeing it as a sector of the future. But faced with the logic of the French army which does not multiply mega-orders, certain entrepreneurs share their discontent.

“What is important is to produce what is necessary to defend our country, it is not to make money on the production of weapons,” General Pierre Schill replied to them during the arms show.

At our microphone, the Chief of Staff of the Army indicates that he wants manufacturers “to be able to be at the best level, at least for some of our drones”. “And to have them to train us,” he continues, believing that from now on “every soldier becomes a drone pilot.” In this matter, General Pierre Schill is a defender of “the pioneering spirit and the spirit of innovation”. “I am ordering the units to fly, to tinker, to invent their drones,” says General Pierre Schill. In 2026, the Army must be equipped with 15,000 drones.