Bruges, Belgium. Sol.One on September 02 announced a five-year industrial supply programme securing propulsion systems for serial production of its Saboteur UAV, in partnership with Drone Volt, the French professional drone group.
The programme covers propulsion systems and related components for the Saboteur in both its civilian and military variants, sized for production volumes of more than 1,400 aircraft per year across five consecutive contract years. It gives Sol.One a committed propulsion supply chain for the production ramp at its Evergem facility near Ghent.
Propulsion Supply
Motors, controllers and power electronics remain concentrated in a small number of suppliers outside Europe, and component lead times are a widely reported constraint on European drone programmes reaching volume. Defence customers increasingly ask their suppliers to state where each component originates, and to hold to that for the life of the platform.
Both companies have committed to maximising European sourcing across the programme. Components will meet origin and qualification criteria agreed jointly by the two companies, reflecting the undertakings. Sol.One gives its defence customers on where its systems are built and by whom. Drone Volt brings more than a decade of industrial experience in professional drone manufacturing and an established European supplier base to the programme.
Scaling the Saboteur at Evergem
The Saboteur is a re-usable mission platform, configurable across roles from border and area patrol through to mothership and cargo operations. It is produced in civilian and military variants and builds on Sol.One’s EASA-certified subsystems and AI-driven autonomy architecture.
Sol.One announced the fit-out of its Evergem production facility near Ghent in August 2026. The first aircraft are now in production at the site. Today’s programme addresses the propulsion dependency in that ramp for a five-year horizon, establishing a baseline volume that Sol.One will build on with further European supply as production grows.
A Shareholder and a Channel into France
Drone Volt is at the same time taking a direct stake in Sol.One, subscribing €2,500,000 to Sol.One’s capital increase at the share price announced on August 03, 2026, in the round led by Leviora Capital. Drone Volt will represent the Saboteur to designated clients in France, drawing on an established record of deliveries to the French armed forces; the arrangement opens that channel to Sol.One without building a French sales organisation of its own.
“Building aircraft at volume stands or falls on the supply chain behind it. Europe has no shortage of good aircraft designs; what it has lacked is the industrial base to build them at volume without depending on suppliers outside the continent. This programme secures propulsion for the Saboteur at scale, sourced in Europe, on origin terms we can stand behind with our customers. Drone Volt has been building professional drones in Europe for over a decade, and putting their capital alongside their components tells you how both of us view the next five years,” said Filip Verhaeghe, CEO of Sol.One.
