Initially, Western media reported that for the production of components for RCH 155 and Leopard 2, KNDS will purchase a factory, the wagons of which are still owned by "Ukrzaliznytsia", indicating that Germany is literally starting to "forge plows into swords" to strengthen its defense capabilities.
Now there is another piece of news in a similar context – France is considering involving the automotive industry to scale up drone production for the national armed forces.
According to the portal Army Recognition, referencing the French publication L`Opinion, the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) of the French Ministry of Defense is exploring the option of engaging the automotive industry for drone production. This is still just part of the "search for new solutions" to increase the volume and pace of defense production.
The French DGA faces quite a significant challenge here, as until now, the defense industry in France has focused on a high-tech equipment approach while maintaining relatively moderate production rates.
However, the experience of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine has shown that it is now necessary to rely on a different approach – mass production and technological simplicity.
Nonetheless, as noted by Defense Express, this "search for new solutions" for the French Ministry of Defense may be hindered by the mindset of French officials.
Currently, it is anticipated that a mechanism for mass drone production for the French army will be established first, and only after that will a corresponding order be issued to the national industry.
This logic clearly appears to be "putting the cart before the horse," as representatives of the Western defense industry have repeatedly emphasized in their statements that initial orders for product manufacturing should come first, followed by the corresponding deployment of capabilities.