France will provide Madagascar with about 100 surveillance and reconnaissance drones by the end of 2026 under a strengthened defense cooperation agreement.
French Armed Forces and Veterans Minister Catherine Vautrin announced this during a visit to Antananarivo on October 6, according to the 2424.mg news website.
She added that 20 drones are expected to be delivered immediately, while the remaining 80 will follow.
The equipment is intended to improve Madagascar’s ability to monitor its extensive coastline, including maritime routes in the Mozambique Channel. The program will also support efforts against illegal fishing, humanitarian operations, searches for missing people and the transport of supplies to isolated areas.
French military personnel are expected to train Malagasy operators and technicians, while the two countries also plan broader technical cooperation, including local design and production.
The announcement comes as Madagascar’s military leadership develops closer security ties with Russia following the October 2025 coup. Moscow delivered drones, assault rifles and handguns to the new authorities two months after the power change. Russian instructors had also trained personnel in operating reconnaissance drones and deploying so-called kamikaze drones.
France’s initiative signals an effort to preserve its strategic and maritime influence in the Indian Ocean while responding to Russia’s expanding role in Madagascar.
