
The French navy is intensifying its preparations against unmanned sea and air vehicles, which are seen as an important element of future naval warfare. In this context, French warships stationed in the strategic port city of Brest in northwestern France participated in a comprehensive exercise called ‘Wildfire’, which aims to combat unmanned systems, for the first time in the Atlantic Ocean. This exercise, in which ships and sailors based in Toulon in the Mediterranean last year were trained on a similar scenario, stands out as an important indicator of the defense strategies developed by the French navy against unmanned threats.
Wildfire: Advanced Tactical Training Against Drone Threats
Organized by the training section of the French Navy’s surface strike force, the Wildfire exercise is an advanced tactical training aimed at preparing the naval units stationed in Brest to combat unmanned surface vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which are potential threats they may encounter in future operational assignments. The main objective of the exercise is to develop the operational capabilities, expertise and tactical thinking skills of the sailors against these new generation threats through the most realistic scenarios.
Strong Naval Presence and Swarm Attacks in the Atlantic
As part of the exercise, the French Navy deployed two modern and multipurpose frigates, Bretagne and Auvergne, to the region, as well as the Enseigne de vaisseau Jacoubet, which undertakes offshore patrol duties, and an advanced NH-90 'Caiman Marine' helicopter. According to Naval News, these powerful naval elements were faced with simulated swarm attacks by unmanned systems specially deployed by the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA). The most important feature of the exercise was that the ship's crew did not know the scenario and possible threats in advance. This situation required the sailors to use their operational skills, technical knowledge and ability to make quick tactical decisions in real time.
Statement from the French Navy: Preparedness Against Asymmetric Threats
The official statement made by the French Navy regarding this critical exercise themed on combating unmanned systems reads, “Such an exercise allows us to test the ability of our naval forces and affiliates to combat asymmetric threats that they may encounter in the future in a realistic operational context. The use of different tactics and a wide range of anti-drone equipment during the exercise will allow us to benefit from the valuable feedback to be obtained by the Maritime Operations Force Expertise Center (CENTEX FAN) at the highest level.” This statement clearly demonstrates that the French Navy is aware of the risks that unmanned systems may pose in the future combat environment and is carrying out a proactive preparation process against these threats.
Lessons Learned from the Ukraine War and the Rising Interest in Unmanned Systems
France’s interest in unmanned systems has been seen to have increased significantly in recent times. One of the most important reasons for this increase is the striking data obtained from the Russian-Ukrainian war zone and the effective experience of the Ukrainian army in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned sea vehicles (UAVs). The critical roles played by UAVs and UAVs in the course of the war have reshaped the strategic perspective of leading military powers such as France in this area.
In this regard, the French Navy conducted a remarkable test in recent weeks. It successfully sank a ship using a jet-ski platform converted into a kamikaze unmanned marine vehicle (UAV). This test shows that the French Navy is closely examining the potential of UAVs and the threat they can pose to naval targets. On the other hand, the French Land Forces continue their intensive work to develop tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capabilities, especially of their paratrooper units, in light of the important lessons learned from Ukraine’s FPV (First Person View) drone operations against Russian forces. These studies clearly demonstrate the determination of the French army’s different force commands to integrate unmanned systems into their combat doctrines.
The Wildfire exercise, conducted by the French Navy in the Atlantic, is of critical importance in developing the country’s defense strategies against unmanned systems and in training naval personnel against these new-generation threats. As the Ukraine war has shown, the role of unmanned vehicles in the modern warfare space is increasing, and France’s proactive approach in this area could provide a significant advantage in future naval operations. In light of the experience gained and the tests conducted, the French Navy is expected to develop more effective defense mechanisms against unmanned systems and to closely follow technological developments in this area.