Until recently, drones have been limited to very specific uses - or used for the purposes of science fiction films - but in the near future these robots with wings, tracks, wheels or rudders will be just a standard part of our everyday life. Whether in the air, on land, on or under the sea, unmanned vehicles will have a major impact on travel and, consequently, on the industrial sector, in both the civil and military fields.

Thirty years ago, the defense sector open up the way, in France particularly. Let’s be honest; the introduction of unmanned platforms was looked upon with a certain amount of scepticism. This situation meant that the sector was not able to structure itself around its market leaders.

Today, however, the use of drones and robots during operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and the Middle East has demonstrated their effectiveness, and made the development of drone-technology a major strategic objective on a continental scale. Intelligence, remote action, limiting exposure to risk, conducting collaborative operations in hostile environments, etc.; today, a wide range of drones - that may weigh just a few grams or tens of tons - are being used to assist the armed forces in all their missions and this extended scope must be used to help establish a coherent industrial structure and approach. This change in perception can be highlighted by the participation of the Patroller in the 14th of July aircraft parade in France.

However, we are still far from being in the position of the United States, where there is massive investment in the sector, in terms of capital and people. One figure highlights what is happening across the Atlantic: in 2010, the US Air Force announced it was training more drone operators than F-16 pilots! 
The issue of system autonomy is also a key focus as regards the development of upgrades for existing programs. For example, this is the case for the Scorpion program, for which the DGA has already launched studies on this subject. The objective is to maintain our operational advantage but also our industrial sovereignty.

The question of vehicle autonomy goes far beyond the scope of defense applications. It is an overall issue that concerns the whole transport sector.

In order to protect the integrity of persons and property - localization of threats on the national territory, surveillance of sensitive industrial sites, maintaining order -, the police forces as well as public authorities and private companies will increasingly call on autonomous platforms.

The civilian use of drones and robots is gathering speed rapidly - the systems are used in aircraft and cars for taxiing, detecting and avoiding obstacles and even for delivering parcels. In a short space of time, drones have moved from being laboratory experiments to marketable products. Originally developed in a military setting - firstly robots for demining operations, and now “mules” for supporting infantrymen - , the technology used for drones and ground-based robots is gradually finding its place in everyday life. Promising partnerships have been established between industrial groups from every sector to develop these products of the future. This is shaking up conventional industrial approaches and developing unexpected links between seemingly remote fields of activity.  

A new generation of autonomous platforms is emerging today, driven by innovative technologies. Miniaturization, distributed propulsion chains - currently hybrid and soon totally electric -  and embedded intelligence are accelerating the development of drones and robots, setting us new technological and operational challenges. Beyond the performance levels already demanded from drones - quality of the optronics and navigation system, load capacity, maneuverability, connectivity for aerial drones for example - their ability to adapt to their immediate environment (particularly through the use of artificial intelligence or cyber-protection) is currently the central concern.

However, the use of drones - whether for defense, public transport or even personal uses - raises societal issues that industrialists must anticipate. Can we imagine using fleets of fully automated aircraft, or even car or boats tomorrow? From a defense point of view, it is difficult to see how fleets of combat drones could replace fleets of Rafale aircraft from one day to the next, for example; however, we can imagine how they could assist the Rafale aircraft in the most difficult aspects of their missions and help protect what must be considered the most important thing: human lives. Industry faces a major challenge to address these needs.

Consequently, as with any developing market, we must move forward with determination, but also without getting ahead of ourselves. Above all, we must move forward through constant dialogue between industrial companies from different sectors, the armed forces, users, politicians and civil society. While drones and robots will undoubtedly have an increasingly important place in the field of transport and the scope of their missions will expand as technology progresses, the generalized use of drones can only move forward at the same rhythm as their progressive acceptance by everyone involved.