At the Paris Air Show 2025, AURA AERO, a French aircraft manufacturer, officially launched its ENBATA drone program, designed to meet the urgent and strategic needs for a European MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) drone. An ENBATA mock-up will be on display at the manufacturer’s stand, located in the B4 outdoor static display area.
In response to the operational and economic challenges highlighted by recent conflicts, AURA AERO is mobilizing its industrial capabilities to offer a modular, multi-mission drone at a controlled cost and is committed to developing next-generation air defence solutions.
“AURA AERO is honoured to have been selected by the French Ministry of Defence and the DGA – Direction Générale de l’Armement (French defence procurement agency), who are supporting the first stage of prototype development, with the aim of flying by the end of 2026. The global context is pushing us to move quickly, with real defence needs, and in France, we have all the tools and technologies to meet them”, comments Jérémy Caussade, President and co-founder of AURA AERO.
ENBATA is an ITAR-free – (free from USA components and therefore not subject to USA ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) Regulations) – drone developed by AURA AERO in collaboration with established industrial partners (SAFRAN, THALES, ARESIA, etc.). Designed around digital flight controls and based on AURA AERO’s digital fundamentals, it can perform long-range strategic intelligence (ISR), armed reconnaissance, electronic warfare, maritime surveillance, communication relay, and anti-drone operations. With a maximum weight of 2 tons, ENBATA can carry up to 1 ton of payload and has an autonomy of up to 55 hours.
Building on the approvals obtained by AURA AERO, ENBATA is designed and manufactured in a certified environment, in coordination with civil and military aviation authorities, in order to obtain dual certification. This unique approach will soon be formalised in a pre-application contract currently being finalised with EASA, paving the way for operations in civil airspace and therefore public uses (e.g., forest fire monitoring, search and rescue, aerial surveillance, etc.).
The program capitalises 100% on the industrial tool already built by AURA AERO: perfectly sized for drones the size of the manufacturer’s aircraft, it thus offers natural continuity between the two worlds. It integrates dual technological building blocks, shared with the ERA program, reinforcing the synergy between civil and military developments. Added to this are the approvals and expertise of a certified manufacturer, enabling the production of large drones to the same standards as those used in manned aviation, while developing new components specific to drone technology. These components are designed to be reusable and modular, paving the way for a true family of drones and ensuring long-term industrial and technological consistency.
“Operational requirements, optimisation, low cost, sovereignty, innovation, and meeting deadlines: these terms are constantly heard in the AURA AERO workshops in Toulouse. By reusing the technological building blocks developed for its two programs that are shaping the future of aviation, INTEGRAL and ERA, this SME is taking on a new challenge: to build a certified French MALE drone that will fly before the end of 2026 to meet the needs of the armed forces. This is definitely not an impossible mission for AURA AERO!” says General (2S) Stephane Mille, former Chief of Staff of the French Air and Space Force from 2021 to 2024.
