France's Naval Group unveiled SCX 26, an 8,000-ton drone carrier concept, at the Euronaval show in Paris. According to Breaking Defense, the ship, still at the blueprint stage, is meant to be the "operational hub of a hybrid fleet", launching aerial, surface and underwater drones for missions such as intelligence gathering and anti-submarine warfare.
On paper, the ship would be 170 meters long with a crew of 150, a top speed of 30 knots and a range of more than 8,000 nautical miles. The company plans to equip it with more than 100 vertical launch cells and an electromagnetic gun.
Separately, Naval Group signed a contract with France's armament directorate (DGA) to build an unmanned combat underwater vehicle demonstrator. The company has self-funded its development since 2016, with an onboard algorithm that coordinates mission parameters within human-defined limits. First sea trials are planned for 2028.