France advances sovereign defence capabilities with OneWeb satellite contract and Enbata drone

The French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) signed a contract, named Centaure, with satellite operator Eutelsat to secure access to the OneWeb low‑Earth‑orbit constellation. Up to €350 million will be invested to provide the French armed forces with low‑latency, high‑throughput communications, supplementing the delayed European IRIS² project and reducing reliance on non‑European systems.

At the EuroSatory exhibition, French‑Finnish firm Aura Aero unveiled its Enbata medium‑altitude long‑endurance (MALE) drone. The 10‑metre aircraft can stay aloft for 55 hours carrying over a tonne of payload. It will be fitted with Thales’ AirMaster C AESA radar and electronic‑warfare suites, delivering a sovereign ISR capability for the French military and supporting large‑scale production.

These moves underline France’s effort to modernise its forces with indigenous, high‑performance space and aerial systems.