French defense giant Thales and automaker Renault Group say they have struck a deal to massively scale production of the “Toutatis” remotely operated munition—often described as a kamikaze or loitering drone—jumping from roughly 100 units a year to 1,000 units a month starting in 2027.
The agreement was announced June 16, 2026, at the Eurosatory defense show in Villepinte, outside Paris. Until now, Thales has produced about 100 Toutatis units per year using 3D printing in its workshops; the new partnership aims to shift to high-volume plastic injection molding, a manufacturing method standard in the auto industry.
The two companies trace their collaboration back to fall 2024, when France’s Direction générale de l’armement (DGA)—the country’s defense procurement agency—brought industry players together under a “Pacte drones” initiative. Eighteen months later, the effort has turned into what Renault describes as its second strategic defense partnership, after a deal with French small business Turgis & Gaillard on the Chorus drone, with production slated to start in late 2026 at Renault’s Le Mans plant.
A kamikaze drone redesigned for mass production
Thales and Renault are not simply moving Toutatis from a small-batch line to a factory floor. They say the drone has been redesigned to handle higher volumes.
Toutatis is about 1 meter long (roughly 3.3 feet) with a wingspan of about 60 centimeters (about 24 inches). It has two lifting surfaces—one in front and one in back—and carries an explosive payload on the order of 1 kilogram (about 2.2 pounds), described as enough to neutralize a light armored vehicle. Thales says it can fly for about 30 minutes and has a stated range of 10 to 30 kilometers (about 6 to 19 miles).
According to the two groups, the redesign cuts the number of parts and fasteners by 30% to 40%. The shift to plastic injection molding replaces piece-by-piece 3D printing. The first prototypes based on the new architecture are expected to be tested in real-world conditions before production begins.
The factory will be in France—but the site hasn’t been named
Production will be located in France, but Renault has not yet chosen the specific site, CEO François Provost said during a press conference held at Thales’ Eurosatory stand. The financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed.
Provost framed Renault’s role as industrial execution: “Renault Group brings to the TOUTATIS project its industrial expertise and the best standards of the automotive industry to design, industrialize and produce at large scale, in shortened timeframes and at reduced costs.”
In a joint statement, the companies described the goal in sovereignty terms: “This strategic partnership combines Thales’ technological excellence in defense with Renault’s expertise in industrial design, in order to build a sovereign drone sector, agile and competitive, fully meeting the challenges of the war economy.”
Export first, while the French military keeps a technology watch
Thales CEO Patrice Caine made clear the initial commercial focus is overseas. Toutatis, he said, will primarily target “countries whose level of conflict is potentially higher than in Western Europe,” with Eastern Europe among the first markets in view.
France’s military, the article says, wants to stay current on innovations without building stockpiles that could quickly become obsolete—an approach aligned with the logic of remotely operated munitions designed to be expended in high-intensity combat rather than stored for decades like heavy weapons systems.
Asked about pricing versus rivals such as KNDS-Delair’s Damoclès or MBDA’s Akeron RCX 50, Caine offered no figure but called Toutatis “super competitive.”
Designed for use on land, from the air, or at sea
Thales says Toutatis can be operated by an infantry soldier and launched from a combat vehicle, an aircraft, or a naval platform. The munition is described as resistant to electromagnetic jamming and carries an interchangeable warhead depending on the mission.
It can also operate in swarms, placing it among systems intended to saturate an adversary’s defenses—an attribute the companies are pitching to militaries looking for modular tools that can be deployed across very different operational settings without expanding logistics chains.
Renault’s defense push is accelerating
The Thales partnership is Renault’s third defense-related move in less than a year, according to the article. The company first signed with Turgis & Gaillard on the Chorus drone, with production planned in Le Mans. The Monday before the Toutatis announcement, Renault and Thales also unveiled a prototype multi-role civilian vehicle, the 4 Troop, designed for the needs of ground forces.
The first mass-produced Toutatis units are expected in 2027, as Renault brings its industrial engineering and French factory footprint to defense programs where speed of ramp-up and cost control are increasingly central requirements.
