French Army Boosts Tactical Autonomy with Mobile Micro Factory Producing FPV Drones on Front Line.

According to information published by the French Army on the social network X on June 2, 2025, an unprecedented field trial is underway involving a mobile micro-factory capable of producing drones directly at the front line. This autonomous system, developed by the Périgueux-based start-up Per Se Systems, allows the production of an FPV (first-person view) drone in just three hours per 3D printer. With multiple printers operating simultaneously within the trailer-based facility, the system can deliver up to ten drones per hour, enabling a steady and localized supply without relying on traditional industrial logistics chains.
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View from inside the micro-factory with all 3D printers simultaneously producing drones (Picture source: PER SE SYSTEMS )

Founded in 2023 by Paul Pelletier and Julian Faraut, Per Se Systems quickly positioned itself within the domain of lightweight combat technologies. Following a demonstration of their drone to the 3rd Marine Infantry Regiment, the two founders were contacted by the 17th Artillery Group to develop a mobile micro-factory designed to produce a target drone for training purposes. The SL450 prototype, developed within a few weeks, is capable of autonomous flight and simulating moving targets for live-fire exercises.

The micro-factory, compact and mobile, was designed to operate in complete autonomy. Powered by a generator, it offers 19 hours of continuous operation. It includes features adapted to operational environments, such as integrated air conditioning, a smoke extractor to ensure safe working conditions, and a solar panel providing discreet lighting. The entire system is designed to be towed by a light vehicle, eliminating the need for heavy transport equipment such as trucks with hydraulic arms.

Per Se Systems developed this solution with a focus on emergency use and operational resilience, enabling military forces or industrial partners to manufacture drones close to human and technical resources, independent of fixed infrastructure. A civilian version under study could be deployed in vehicles, urban locations, or temporary structures to meet immediate production needs. The company has filed several patents in France and abroad covering integration and guidance systems and states its intention to move away from Chinese-origin components used in initial prototypes by developing a fully modified, domestically sourced version.

Currently collaborating with twelve French Army regiments and involved in four confidential development programs, Per Se Systems reflects an emerging trend in field-oriented tactical innovation. Supported by the command of the 17th Artillery Group, this initiative represents a shift in doctrine concerning military production under degraded conditions. It illustrates a strategic move toward mobile, modular, and rapidly deployable tactical manufacturing capabilities within high-intensity operational environments.

This approach addresses a growing need in modern conflicts: fast, autonomous, and decentralized production of tactical drones, particularly FPV models considered single-use or expendable on the battlefield. The ability to print and assemble a drone within three hours, without dependence on vulnerable or saturated industrial supply lines, provides a clear operational advantage by ensuring continuity in action. It also shortens the gap between tactical need and equipment availability while enabling forces to respond to rapidly evolving conditions.

The war in Ukraine has highlighted the scale of this phenomenon. In certain frontline sectors, forces reportedly consume several hundred FPV drones per day, reaching up to 10,000 units per month according to some estimates. Used for low-cost precision strikes against vehicles, personnel, or entrenched positions, these drones have become an essential tool in close combat. However, the intensity of their use has also revealed a structural limitation: the inability of centralized production systems to meet sustained demand. In response, many actors on the ground have turned to local, flexible, and improvised production methods, like the concept now being tested by Per Se Systems.

In this context, the French micro-factory concept aligns with a distributed warfare model, where the ability to produce rapidly, anywhere, and independently becomes as strategically important as technological superiority. Nevertheless, if this solution were to be sustained long-term, production capacity would need to be significantly scaled up to meet the actual requirements of the armed forces.