Drones Steal the Paris Air Show

The Paris Air Show has a lot of buzz this year — literally. A record number of drones are on display at the world’s largest aerospace event. Concluding this weekend, 2,400 exhibitors from 48 countries are showing off planes and other aircraft for 300,000 visitors. And this year, the smallest aircraft on the tarmac made a big impact. 

As airlines placed billions of dollars worth of orders for commercial planes, the defense industry made deals for drones, the small, remotely controlled aircraft that are increasingly important in modern conflicts.

Modern Warfare

Drones are defining 21st-century warfighting, with thousands deployed in both the Russia-Ukraine war and the Iran-Israel conflict. Drones have been used in the Russia-Ukraine war to destroy weapons factories, oil refineries and ammunition stores, and they inflict more than 70% of casualties on both sides, according to The Japan Times. Both countries plan to produce millions of drones this year. Meanwhile, the Israeli military said it has already intercepted hundreds of Iranian drones in its airspace. 

As drones become more prevalent, defense companies are eyeing new deals. Drone updates at the Paris Air Show came from:

• Anduril, which made its debut there, showing off its 17-foot autonomous Fury drone. These “wingmen” drones fly alongside fighter jets to provide support for combat and surveillance. The US Air Force has plans to deploy 1,000 larger drones like the Fury.
• Germany’s Rheinmetall, which announced at the show that it’ll partner with Anduril to develop versions of the Fury and another drone that can act as a cruise missile, called the Barracuda, for European markets.  

AI-viation Nations: Today’s drones are more than pricey toys or tools to put on light shows. Their military uses are top-of-mind as global tensions rise around the world, and AI is expected to make drones more accurate, deadly and autonomous. At the same time, as drones are developed for the defense sector, the technology is also evolving for non-military uses. At the Paris Air Show, Czech startup FlyinDiamonds showed off its one-pound Mandrake drones (they make a high-pitched noise like the magical plants in “Harry Potter”), which it plans to use to deliver medical supplies in emergencies.