DANAE
French fast-track programme to field armed uncrewed surface vessels.
Last refreshed: 8 November 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Timeline for DANAE
Narrowed its field to three teams
Autonomous Systems: Land & Sea: France shortlists three armed boat teamsBackground
France's Defence Innovation Agency and the French Navy picked three of seven industrial Teams for DANAE, a fast-track programme to field armed uncrewed surface vessels that guard ports and escort ships.
The name stands for drone de surface Autonome Naval avec capacité d'Armement Embarqué. Seven existing boats were tested off Saint-Mandrier, near Toulon, in January 2026. Phase 2 began in September 2026: SEAir with The ORCAS Group, SeaOwl, and Naval Group with SIREHNA and Couach each have about twelve months to build and test a larger prototype. Naval Group's entry is the 9m Seaquest S.
The DGA, France's procurement agency, steers the programme. A single winner is expected at the end of 2027, for a boat built in numbers. Naval Group is also building the larger Seaquest M for the French Navy.
What is the French DANAE programme?
Which companies were shortlisted for DANAE?
When will France choose a DANAE winner?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 8 November 2026. Editorial standards.