Paris – In a stark warning to French industry, Celine Berthon, director of the DGSI counter‑intelligence agency, told a business forum on Wednesday that the explosive drone discovered at Leipzig/Halle airport on Aug. 4 could be a preview of more direct attacks on France’s critical sectors.
Drone incident raises alarm
The unmanned aircraft, laden with explosives, was found near a Ukrainian Antonov cargo plane used to transport military supplies. While the perpetrators were not identified, Berthon said the device appeared to be aimed at an aircraft supporting the Ukrainian army, highlighting a “meteoric” rise in hybrid threats since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Hybrid warfare targeting French interests
Berthon emphasized that France’s defence and technology industries are the most immediate targets, but warned that energy, communications and other strategic sectors could also be vulnerable. She described a daily onslaught of cyber penetration and violence carried out by local proxies as part of a broader “hybrid warfare” campaign.
French officials echo German concerns
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that Berlin will soon name the party responsible for the attempted drone attack. Moscow has denied involvement. In a rare public statement, France’s top spy echoed Germany’s interior minister, noting that both nations face constant hybrid attacks that could even interfere with elections.
Calls for a “war economy”
The warning came at an informal end‑of‑summer gathering of France’s business elite, where executives debated how to protect vital interests and adapt to a “war economy” urged by President Emmanuel Macron. General Fabien Mandon, head of France’s armed forces, warned that the country is falling behind potential adversaries in developing low‑cost drones and the defences needed to counter a saturation of cheap, mass‑produced unmanned systems.
“Every night 800 to 1,000 drones leave Ukraine for Russia. The Russians have roughly equivalent production,” Mandon said. “We have a model for defence that performs extremely well against what we knew … Now we have enemies that have developed cheap solutions in large quantities. We are not there.”
Industry response
Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier asserted that France’s defence sector is ready to meet the challenge of re‑arming, signalling confidence that domestic manufacturers can respond to the evolving threat landscape.
France is set to hold a presidential election next year, adding a political dimension to the security concerns. The DGSI’s assessment underscores the need for coordinated public‑private efforts to safeguard the nation’s critical infrastructure against an increasingly sophisticated hybrid threat environment.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
