Naval Group Unveils SCX 26 ‘Hybrid Fleet’ Combatant Concept at Euronaval 2026
French shipbuilder Naval Group unveiled a new concept combatant design called SCX 26 at the EURONAVAL 2026 exhibition in Paris. The company is presenting the design as part of a “hybrid fleet” approach, representing a naval warfare architecture in which uncrewed maritime vehicles would operate alongside existing crewed warships rather than replacing them.
SCX 26 was shown as part of Naval Group’s broader presence at the show, where the company also discussed developments on programmes such as the French Navy’s FDI-class frigates and Sweden’s Lulea-class vessels. The concept is not yet a confirmed construction programme; it is presented as a design vision.
Around the same time as the concept’s unveiling, senior French naval officials offered their own assessment of the hybrid-fleet approach. A senior French Navy representative argued that uncrewed systems should support crewed warships rather than replace them, saying the approach is better described as a “reasoned” hybrid fleet.
The SCX 26 concept reflects a broader trend among European navies: integrating uncrewed surface and underwater vehicles with crewed combatants for reconnaissance, mine-hunting, electronic warfare and even strike missions. Other concepts shown at EURONAVAL 2026 include CMN’s 107-metre multi-mission corvette design and Saab’s next-generation 9LV combat management system, underscoring the show’s focus this year on next-generation naval warfare architectures.
For Naval Group itself, EURONAVAL served as a platform to reinforce its position in both domestic and export markets for French naval shipbuilding. In the same period, the company unveiled a more heavily armed MP-OPV design for Lithuania, delivered the second Belharra-class frigate to Greece, and signed a contract to build a demonstrator for France’s uncrewed combat underwater vehicle (UCUV) programme.
Naval Group did not release detailed specifications, dimensions, weapons systems or a potential construction timeline for SCX 26; for now, the presentation remains at the design-concept stage.
Sources:
Naval News, “Naval Group Unveils SCX 26 ‘Hybrid Fleet’ Drone Mothership Concept”, 14 November 2026 — https://www.navalnews.com/event-news/euronaval-2026/2026/11/naval-group-presents-scx-26-combatant-as-naval-drone-hub/ (primary source for this report).
Naval News, “Beyond the Hype: French Navy Chief Advocates for a ‘Reasoned’ Hybrid Fleet”, 13 November 2026 — https://www.navalnews.com/interviews/2026/11/french-navy-chief-reasoned-hybrid-fleet/ (used for the French Navy’s assessment of the hybrid-fleet approach).
