PARIS — France detonated a naval explosive drone against a decommissioned cargo vessel at sea, the latest in a string of live-fire experiments as the French Navy seeks to prepare its ships and crews for high-intensity combat in what the government here calls an increasingly unstable international context.
The test explosion on April 26 will allow to France to perfect remotely-operated naval munition systems, including their guidance and pyrotechnics, the Armed Forces Ministry said in an emailed statement. The weaponized unmanned surface vehicle (USV) was deployed by a Navy offshore patrol vessel off the coast of Toulon, the home of France’s main naval base.