CERLAD
French procurement agency's counter-drone test centre, attached to DGA Essais de missiles.
CERLAD's two-month, four-campaign trial of Harmattan AI's GOBI Zephyr interceptor ended on 22 September 2026, and France's procurement agency sent its first order, for 50 interceptors, the next day.
Last refreshed: 1 October 2026
Timeline for CERLAD
France buys 50 Harmattan AI interceptors
Drones: Industry & DefenceBackground
CERLAD, the Centre expert référent de la lutte anti-drone, is the counter-drone centre of France's procurement agency, the DGA. It sits within DGA Essais de missiles, the agency's missile test centre, with sites in the Landes and at Levant.
The centre tests counter-drone systems on short cycles. It confirmed that the Tigre helicopter's 30mm gun can defeat Shahed-type drones and has trialled interceptor drones from several makers.
Its trials now sit directly in front of French counter-drone buying. The GOBI Zephyr order of September 2026 followed CERLAD's tests within a day, and the DGA held later tranches back until the first batch performs in service.
A trial became an order overnight
CERLAD ran four campaigns over two months to test Harmattan AI's GOBI Zephyr, a 2.2kg interceptor that flies at up to 350km/h and destroys small drones by ramming them, with no warhead. The trials, which included work on Middle East operations, finished on 22 September 2026.
Procurement followed at once. The order letter went out on 23 September, deputy director general Alexandre Lahousse said, for a first 50 interceptors reaching French forces from October, with further tranches of 50 held in reserve. For CERLAD the sequence marks its short-cycle tests as the last step before a French counter-drone purchase.