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Exail: the “SpaceX” of maritime drones
To address evolving maritime threats, Exail is focusing on faster development cycles, technologies drawn from the civilian sector and expanded industrial capacity. The French group’s new Neptis maritime surveillance system and Oryx family of uncrewed surface vessels illustrate this strategy.
- Exail’s Oryx USV is designed to enhance maritime surveillance capabilities and meet emerging operational challenges.
- Exail’s Neptis C2 software interface plays a central role in monitoring and coordinating USVs to provide continuous maritime surveillance.
© Exail
The growing number of potential targets, particularly in the context of hybrid attacks, is driving the need for greater maritime surveillance and faster equipment delivery. Exail, a specialist in high-precision technologies for the defence and maritime sectors, is responding by accelerating development and keeping it closely aligned with operational requirements.
Accelerating innovation through trials at sea
Exail funds its own product development, moves quickly to real-world testing and refines its systems based on feedback. This approach builds on the company’s presence in both civilian and defence markets, allowing technologies to mature through actual use before being adapted for military applications. “We test technical improvements to our drones at sea every day and conduct full operational trials every two months,” says Thomas Buret, co-CEO of Exail. “In that respect, we’re the ‘SpaceX’ of maritime drones,” he adds.
The company also benefits from its in-house expertise in critical technologies, from inertial navigation to robotics and maritime autonomy. This allows Exail to develop and upgrade its systems without relying entirely on external suppliers, while shortening the time between identifying an operational requirement and delivering a reliable, deployable capability.
Neptis and Oryx: strengthening maritime surveillance
Neptis brings together multiple Oryx uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) equipped with defence-grade sensors. Designed to improve surveillance of sensitive maritime areas, the system can maintain a continuous presence around major ports and international airports located near the coast. According to Thomas Buret, this could be achieved with a network of five to ten drones.
This architecture is intended to accelerate threat detection and identification while reducing the exposure of crews and valuable naval assets such as frigates. It is designed to complement existing naval capabilities. “Neptis can meet urgent operational requirements with an acquisition cycle of just a few months rather than years,” emphasises the CEO.
The system draws on technologies and experience gained from Exail’s civilian DriX drones, allowing the company to focus its development efforts on the operational requirements and qualification standards specific to military missions.
Expanding industrial capacity
To support the deployment of its systems, Exail plans for production from the outset and is investing in its manufacturing capacity, particularly in inertial navigation and robotics. The group currently has four maritime drone production facilities in France and Belgium, with a fifth due to open in 2027. Exail says it has tripled its production capacity over the past two years and has orders for more than 1,400 surface and underwater drones.
“No matter how advanced a technology is, it only has operational value if it can be produced, delivered and supported over the long term,” says Thomas Buret. In other words, ramping up production is just as important as developing the technology itself.
- Linda Verhaeghe
