Calepin des entreprises international 2026 VA.pdf — page 52

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Business trends
	
 Founded in 2011 under the name Delair-Tech, the French company Delair specialises in the design and 
production of professional, electrically powered UAVs for dual missions. It stands out for its fixed-wing drones, 
whereas many competitors offer rotor drones. In 2012, it also obtained certification for beyond visual line of 
sight (BVLOS) flight operations.
	
 Supported by a surge in production rates (from 100 drones per year to more than 250), Delair revenues grew 
strongly in 2024. Turnover tripled to €30 million, half of which came from exports and 80% from defence, and 
workforce grew to 200 people.
	
 Delair plans to double revenues in 2025 to €60 million. In June 2025, the company announced that it was 
preparing a new round to raise funds.
	
 In October 2024, Delair acquired the French company Squadrone System (€2 million in revenue and around 
20 employees). Specialising in the design of multicopter drones for complex uses, Squadrone System is 
participating in an R&D programme managed by the French Defense Innovation Agency (AID) and the French 
defence procurement agency (DGA) on drone swarms. It is also involved in the RapidEagle anti-drone project.
Home market
	
 Delair is a supplier to the French Armed Forces. The UX11 drone is used in particular by the French Army and 
Special Forces for observation and intelligence missions. 100 units were ordered by the French Ministry of 
Armed Forces in February 2024.
	
 An evaluation test of the DT26 UAV was carried out by the French Armed Forces in Djibouti in April 2024.
	
 The DT46 UAV is a reversible drone that can be used in fixed-wing mode or in vertical take-off and landing 
(VTOL) mode thanks to two vertical rotor arms. It was delivered to the French Armed Forces in December 2024 
and deployed in Romania as part of the Eagle mission. It was also tested by the French Navy on a landing 
helicopter dock in early 2024 and entered service with the French Gendarmerie in 2025.
	
 As part of the Colibri call for projects, KNDS France and Delair were selected in June 2024 to supply short-
range loitering munitions (MTO CP), based on Delair’s UX11 drone and optimised for BVLOS flights. The French 
Armed Forces ordered 2,000 units in autumn 2024, partly destined for Ukraine. The delivery of 460 munitions 
named Damoclès, with a 10 km range, 40-minute endurance and approximately 500-gram warhead, is 
scheduled for the end of 2025.
	
 In June 2025, Delair presented the DT61, a long-range fixed-wing VTOL observation UAV with a radio range 
of over 100 km and a payload capacity of 15 kg (for a total weight of 100 kg). Currently in the final qualification 
phase, the drone is expected to carry out its first operational missions in the second half of the year and be 
commercially available by the end of 2025.
Export markets
	
 The company has customers in 70 countries. Ukraine, which has received several hundred drones, accounts 
for a significant share of Delair’s exports. In addition to Europe, Africa is also one of the company’s main 
markets (delivery of DT26 UAVs to Niger, Ivory Coast, etc.).
Technology and Innovation
	
 Delair is working on a hydrogen-powered UAV project called Hydrone, based on the DT26. The aim is to 
significantly increase the range compared to electric propulsion, with the Hydrone expected to have twice the 
range of the DT26.
	
 In February 2025, Delair partnered with French company Ascendance, a specialist in hybrid propulsion, to 
develop a hybrid-electric version of the DT46 UAV. The project aims to increase the drone’s range and flexibility 
to carry out observation missions for the DGA Essais de missiles site in southwestern France.
DELAIR
STRATEGIC HIGHLIGHTS