A dawn-lit deck on the French frigate Lorraine sets the scene for a new era of defense: drones drift overhead as sailors run a counter-drone warfare drill. The exercise blends speed and precision, testing both old school tactics and modern, electronic ways to neutralize threats. It is a glimpse into how navies are rethinking engagement rules in a world where small, inexpensive drones can promise outsized impact.

At the rear helicopter platform, a compact container bristles with antennas, radars and optics. This test setup, guarded by industry reps and France’s Directorate General of Armaments, lets crews explore jamming capabilities, enhance the lethality of small-caliber weapons, and add optronics to better detect threats. On Lorraine, sailors are practicing with the Narwhal 20-mm cannons, remotely operated from the bridge, and the system displays a confidence percentage for each target as live-fire simulations run in the software.

There are two ways to take down drones, the crew notes: the old-fashioned, labor- and ammunition-intensive approach like at Pearl Harbor, and a refined technical method that targets the first shot. The French navy is pursuing a hybrid path: maintain readiness with rapid, local responses while gradually raising the accuracy and reach of its weapons. “We are strengthening our capacity to create a steel wall,” said the operations officer.

Since 2025, the fleet has added rear-mounted machine guns, and the Lorraine exercise tested twin-barrel, high-rate-of-fire configurations that offer more ammunition and better aiming aids. The goal is to slow or defeat a drone swarm without spending precious Aster missiles housed in the bow. In parallel, electronic warfare and jamming are used to neutralize threats at distance, often without firing large missiles.

As one electronic warfare operator explains, jamming can blanket an area so a swarm can be neutralized as a group rather than a single target. “It is like a full beam in your eyes at night,” he says, drawing a parallel to how the tech blinds a drone by saturating the sensors. “The cannon aims at one target, whereas we target an area,” notes Kevin, a 33-year-old operator.

According to AFP, reporting via The Local France, the Lorraine exercise reflects a wider European push to modernize navies amid drone sightings and regional tensions. The period since 2024 has seen drone activity and incidents in the skies over Ukraine, with naval forces warning that hybrid operations and air threats are no longer theoretical. Europe is moving toward integrated systems that pair detection with layered defeat options, combining kinetic and non-kinetic means.

For defense planners, the message is clear: the era of drone threats demands quick, adaptable responses. The French approach blends industry innovation with shipboard testing that could accelerate procurement cycles for new jamming gear, better optronic sensors, and faster fire-control systems. The test also highlights how navies might use the same tools to counter swarm drone threats in ports or carrier approaches. Contractors like Thales and Naval Group are pushing similar capabilities in other fleets, signaling a broader market shift toward scalable, shipborne counter-drone networks.

Looking ahead, expect navies to pursue increasingly modular defenses that can be added to existing ships without major overhauls. The Lorraine exercise demonstrates how jamming and a steel barrier can complement traditional guns and missiles, creating a layered shield against a spectrum of threats. The challenge remains to balance rapid response with rules of engagement and to ensure that electronic warfare capabilities are resilient in contested radio environments.

For defense planners, the takeaway is stark: speed and adaptability matter more than polished, single-shot systems. As drones proliferate, the fleet that can jam, shoot, and sense in parallel will stay ahead.

Conclusion

In short, the Lorraine drills illustrate how modern navies are building layered counter-drone defenses that mix jamming, guns, and sensors. The trend toward rapid, modular counter-measures is likely to shape procurement and training for years to come.