The conflict in Ukraine and more recently between Israel and Iran have shown that armed conflicts have entered a new era: that of drones. Used as weapons for years, drones have become in a few years very popular projectiles in conflicts. Inexpensive, easy to manufacture and launch, they are very difficult to intercept.
In these troubled times, military defense has become one of the priorities of the DGA (General Directorate of Armament). But far from its buildings in the Paris region, it is an anonymous SME, ALM Meca, in the heart of Alsace, that has found a relevant solution.
17 employees, one drone, and one achievement. In less than a year, the small company managed to develop Fury. This interceptor drone has a unique design in the world. Similar to a small aircraft, it has a jet engine. Thanks to this powerful engine and aerodynamic design meticulously thought out, Fury reaches a top speed of 700 kilometers per hour. Even more impressive, it has incredible acceleration and very high aerodynamic resistance (up to 20 G).
Contacted by our colleagues at Challenges, Thierry Berthier, researcher associated with the Military Academy of Saint-Cyr, acknowledges that “there are no other products of this type in Europe.” With Fury, ALM Meca has not only matched the major French or European players but surpassed them.
A development on its own funds. Besides the technical specifications of Fury and demonstration videos, the most impressive thing about this drone is undoubtedly its economic model. In the military world, private companies mostly sign contracts with the DGA, the Ministry of Defense, or any state entity, which funds the development of new projects.
But with Fury, things are decidedly different. The small drone was built with the company’s own funds. Neither the DGA nor the ministry invested a single euro in constructing this device. A significant risk for ALM Meca. The company will now face an equally important challenge in industrializing its interceptor drone.
Currently, a first order for turbines was made by the Ministry of Defense. It is closely monitoring the company’s activity. More orders could therefore arrive in the coming months in eastern France. Below is a demonstration of Fury in flight.
