Paris: France needs to adapt its defense capabilities to the growing use of drones in warfare, the French Armed Forces chief said Wednesday. 'I think there is an essential need for adaptation in the defense sector. The use of drones is a reality,' Gen. Fabien Mandon said at the opening of the Medef business conference in Paris.

According to Anadolu Agency, Gen. Mandon emphasized that the scale of drone use in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict underscores the necessity for a strategic shift in defense planning. 'Every night, roughly 800 to 1,000 drones are launched from Ukraine toward Russia,' he noted, pointing out that Russia possesses similar production capabilities. Despite having a highly effective defense model against traditional threats, Mandon highlighted the need to address the challenge posed by adversaries developing cost-effective systems that can be deployed en masse.

'We have just updated a military programming law to further expand the use of drones and integrate this element of attrition, because every drone that crosses a border must be stopped,' Mandon added. He also expressed concern that France's current defensive weapons are not being produced in sufficient quantities to counter large-scale drone incursions.

At the same conference, Celine Berthon, head of the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI), issued a warning about the potential for more direct and violent hybrid operations within France. 'The discovery of an explosive drone in Leipzig, which was most likely intended to target an aircraft designed to support the Ukrainian army, is a signal that we must consider more direct, violent hostile actions that could occur on our national territory,' Berthon stated.

She further elaborated that potential targets could include defense companies and subcontractors, alongside strategic sectors such as production, energy, and communications. 'In the context of the hardening of the Russian posture in particular, we must take into account the possibility of a hardening and aggravation of the threats that weigh on companies,' she added.

In early August, an explosive-laden drone was reportedly discovered in a secured cargo area at Leipzig Airport in eastern Germany, near Ukrainian cargo aircraft. A second drone allegedly struck a DHL cargo plane, while a third was reportedly found days later in a field west of the airport.