Aarok

Aarok overview

Aarok is a French MALE unmanned-aircraft proposal from Turgis & Gaillard. The company presents it as a sovereign European option for persistent land and maritime ISR, communications, and precision-strike support, with a payload capacity intended to accommodate several mission systems. The project addresses France's long-standing interest in retaining domestic control over critical unmanned-aircraft capability.

Manufacturer-reported design figures include approximately 10.5 meters in length, 22 meters of wingspan, 250 knots maximum speed, 24 hours of endurance, 1,500 kilograms of payload, and 5,500 kilograms MTOW. These remain manufacturer-reported targets or design values, not independently verified service performance. Height, range, propulsion details, final avionics, and an operational weapons configuration are Not publicly disclosed.

Turgis & Gaillard unveiled Aarok at the 2023 Paris Air Show. Government and industrial discussions continued through 2026 around a French sovereign MALE capability, but public evidence does not establish a production contract, operational squadron, confirmed first flight, or export operator list by September 12, 2026. Aarok should therefore be compared as a serious developmental program, not as a fielded aircraft.

Armament

Proposed precision weapons and mission payloads; operational fit Not publicly disclosed

Development and operational timeline

1. Jun 2023Turgis & Gaillard unveils Aarok at the Paris Air Show as a French MALE UAV proposal
2. Jun 2024The company continues industrial and government discussions around sovereign French unmanned aviation
3. Jun 2025Aarok remains in development while France evaluates future MALE capability and industrial options
4. Sep 2026No publicly settled production contract, operational squadron, or export operator is confirmed; development continues