France has awarded local defense firm Harmattan AI a contract to deliver 5,000 Sonora short-range intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance drones.
The deal significantly expands an initial 2025 order for 1,000 units and follows a recent military exercise that validated the drone’s potential for future autonomous operations.
Production will be supported by Harmattan’s newly opened drone plant, which has a monthly production capacity of 10,000.
According to the company, the latest award reflects the surge in demand for autonomous systems and reinforces its role in supplying critical solutions “at the speed required by modern warfare.”
“The quality standards applied by France’s Directorate General of Armament are among the most demanding in the world and we succeeded in meeting them with a system that entered service only one year after its initial conception,” said Mouad M’Ghari, CEO and co-founder of Harmattan AI.
“This demonstrates Harmattan AI’s ability to meet the needs of allied nations: developing attritable, scalable and autonomous defense systems at speed, while remaining agile and responsive to the needs of real-world operators.”
The Sonora UAS
Harmattan’s Sonora is available in electro-optical and infrared variants, enabling day- and night-time intelligence gathering operations.
It measures 35 centimeters (14 inches) long, weighs 1.8 kilograms (4 pounds), has a range of 4 kilometers (2.4 miles), and can remain airborne for over 40 minutes.
The platform’s modular design reportedly allows fixed repairs and rapid adaptation to evolving operational requirements.
Sonora also supports minimal controller instructions, with a single operator able to manage multiple drones simultaneously. Current preparations allow up to 15 drones to operate within the same training area.
