Renault has had an industrial hub in Le Mans since 1969, for the production of various components, especially mechanical parts, which it supplies to various brands and almost all models of the French group. It was this industrial unit, focused on the systems and technologies essential for the electrification of the automobile, that the diamond brand chose to manufacture up to 600 military drones per year for Turgis Gaillard, a company in the aerospace and defense sector.
The information, confirmed by Renault itself, demonstrates the automotive industry’s interest in participating in the military reinforcement program advocated by the European Union (EU), which gained significant momentum after Donald Trump’s return to the presidency of the United States, although the French brand assures that it does not intend to take on a prominent role in the defense sector. Nonetheless, the agreement with Turgis Gaillard received the support of the workers at the Billancourt brand.
Very recently, Emmanuel Macron, the French president, spoke about the importance of rapidly reinforcing the country’s military capabilities, due to the current moment of significant instability in various regions of the world, a situation exacerbated both by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and by Trump’s interest in purchasing Greenland. France plans to invest about 36.5 billion euros in defense by 2030, and the first news about the possibility of Renault producing drones in Le Mans was published just a few days later.
Renault’s participation in this task, according to the French company, is supported both by its technical and technological competencies and by its ability to produce these equipment on a large scale and with quality, within the required deadlines. Three car manufacturers, or component suppliers, such as Valeo, Valmet, and Schaeffler, are increasingly active in the defense industry, a sector that also interests Bosch and ZF.
Renault, in Le Mans, employs about 1,500 employees and produces components for chassis and braking systems, namely discs and drums – about 1.3 million components per year. The French manufacturer also has a history in the military sector, having, for example, built the FT tank that participated in World War I starting in 1917, and also participated in combat during World War II.
