Personal watercrafts—those loud, zippy machines that scream summer fun—are normally all about carving waves, pulling off questionable stunts, and annoying everyone at the beach. But now? They’re also about blowing stuff up. Yes, we’ve officially reached the point where something you’d usually see at a resort is being turned into a one-way weapon of war. It’s badass, depressing, and kinda terrifying all at once.
On April 26, the French Navy strapped an explosive charge to a PWC, pointed it at an old cargo barge, and let it rip across the Mediterranean at high speed. The target? A decommissioned hulk reinforced with metal and tires. The result?
One hell of a boom, and a very clear message.
Marine redoutée. La Marine protège la liberté de navigation en mer Rouge contre toutes les menaces, dont les drones. La Marine teste aussi ses propres drones d’attaque et munitions télé-opérées pour augmenter sa létalité. pic.twitter.com/4MgQdfaVyx
— Chef d'état-major de la Marine (@CEMM_FR) April 29, 2025
No, this wasn’t a Michael Bay movie or a Fast & Furious deleted scene. This was a real-world weapons test under the French military’s Polaris program, not to be confused with the American powersports company of the same name. France’s Polaris is a combat innovation initiative meant to simulate real-world conditions and push the boundaries of naval warfare.
The one-way PWC drone was launched from a French offshore patrol vessel, and multiple camera angles show it tearing across the water before obliterating the test barge in a glorious, high-definition fireball. There were sensors, tracking systems, and enough data gathered to make even the nerdiest weapons analyst giddy.
And let’s be real: this isn't happening in a vacuum. Ukraine’s been slapping Russian warships in the Black Sea using similar tactics. The Houthis in Yemen are hitting tankers in the Red Sea like it’s their favorite pastime. Everyone’s taking notes, and now the French are raising their hand to say, "Oui, nous aussi."
Polaris isn’t just about blowing things up with waterborne rockets, though. Back in December, the French test-fired a heavy torpedo from a nuclear sub to sink a retired warship. In February, they detonated a naval mine next to a frigate just to see what happens. In March? Full-scale amphibious assault exercise featuring drones galore. These folks are not messing around.
So yes, France just turned a PWC into a weapon of war. And honestly, it’s kind of badass. Not because blowing things up is cool (okay, maybe a little), but because it shows just how far naval warfare has evolved. Fast, cheap, unmanned, and terrifying—that’s the new world order.
Now if you’ll excuse us, we’ll never look at a Sea-Doo the same way again.
Sources: Marine Nationale, Maritime Executive
