French Army tests hydrogen-powered robotic vehicle

The French Army has begun testing the next-generation Hermione unmanned ground vehicle at the Saint-Cyr Coëtquidan Military Academy, the service confirmed this week.

The trials are being conducted under the Army’s Pendragon program, which focuses on integrating artificial intelligence-enabled combat systems into future military operations.

According to the French Army, the objective of the first AI-directed combat unit is to “anticipate tomorrow’s battles while accelerating decision-making and tactical effectiveness.” The service stated, “Conducted with the Ministry Agency for Defense AI, the Pendragon project carries and expresses this determination to win the wars of tomorrow.” The Army has set a goal of delivering its first robotic unit to operational forces by 2027.

Hermione was developed jointly by Polish defense company P.H.U. Lechmar and French firm H2X-Defense. The platform is designed as a modular, wheeled unmanned ground vehicle capable of supporting a wide range of mission profiles.

The drone features a payload capacity of 300 kilograms, with alternative variants capable of carrying up to two tons. Built for uneven or rugged terrain, Hermione uses an all-wheel-drive layout and reaches a top speed of 24 miles per hour. The platform measures 3.3 meters in length, 1.85 meters in width and 1.4 meters in height, excluding mounted mission equipment. The version displayed at MSPO weighed 700 kilograms and offered 300 millimeters of ground clearance.

Hermione is powered by hydrogen fuel cells integrated into TPED-certified cylinders that supply energy to 8 kW hub-mounted electric motors. The vehicle includes a 25 kWh battery pack and offers an operational endurance of up to 20 hours, according to the manufacturers. Refueling is estimated to take about three minutes, and crews can replace hydrogen cylinders in the field to sustain operations without lengthy downtime.

The French Army selected Hermione for evaluation as part of its broader effort to introduce AI-enabled robotics into maneuver units. The testing at Saint-Cyr Coëtquidan is intended to assess autonomy, mobility, energy performance and integration with command-and-control networks. The Pendragon program is designed to experiment with AI-supported decision aids, manned-unmanned teaming and the introduction of robotic platforms into dismounted and mounted formations.

The Army’s announcement emphasized that the goal of the program is to improve the ability of units to conduct dispersed, high-tempo operations while maintaining awareness in complex environments. The ongoing trials are expected to provide data that will shape requirements for the first operational robotic unit planned for 2027.