ARSAERO CT 10
French target drone reverse-engineered from the German V-1 flying bomb.
The ARSAERO CT 10, also designated the Arsenal/SFECMAS Ars 5501, was a remote-controlled target drone built by the Arsenal de l'Aéronautique for the French Air Force. It was a copy of the German V-1 flying bomb, designed to act as a bomber stand-in for training anti-aircraft gunners and fighter pilots.
Work on the CT 10 began in August 1946, when engineers reverse-engineered captured German V-1 stocks. The first launch took place in December 1949 at the missile range near Colomb-Bechar, Algeria, and the drone entered service in 1952. Nord manufactured over 400 units in Châtillon and Villeurbanne. While France was the primary user, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Sweden also operated the CT 10. France retired the type during the 1950s in favor of more advanced models like the CT20 and CT41, but British and Swedish air forces continued using it through the 1960s.
The drone could be launched from the ground or from the air. Ground launches used a ramp and a pair of solid rockets; air launches involved release from a LeO 45 bomber. Once airborne, it served as a target for fighters or ground-based weapons. The CT 10 closely followed the V-1’s design but had several key differences. It was smaller, measuring 6 meters long compared to the V-1’s 8.32 meters. Its solid rocket boosters produced more thrust than the V-1’s liquid-fueled steam generator, allowing a shorter launch ramp. The CT 10 was also recoverable, equipped with a parachute, and guided by radio from a nearby ground station.
A surviving CT 10 is on display at the Overlord Museum in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. Operators included the Royal Navy.
Quick Facts
- Origin
- France
- Is Missile
- "yes"
- Service
- 1951–1960s
- Used By
- French Air Force · Royal Air Force · Italian Air Force · Swedish Air Force
- Engine
- pulsejet, two solid rockets
- Vehicle Range
- 30 minutes
- Speed
- 420 km/h
- Guidance
- Radio-guided
- Wingspan
- 4.35 m
- Ceiling
- 4000 m
- Launch Platform
- Launch ramp
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The CT 10's design process began in August 1946 with reverse-engineering of V-1 missile stocks captured from the Luftwaffe. It was first launched from the Centre interarmées d'essais d'engins spéciaux missile range near Colomb-Bechar, Algeria, in December 1949 and became operational in 1952. It was mass-produced by Nord in Châtillon and Villeurbanne, with more than 400 copies eventually built.
The CT 10 was scaled down from the V-1, measuring 6 m long versus 8.32 m for the V-1. When ground-launched, it was propelled down a launch ramp by a pair of solid rocket boosters, which had more thrust than the liquid-fueled Dampferzeuger used to launch the V-1, allowing the CT 10's launch ramp to be considerably shorter. When air-launched, it was released from a LeO 45 bomber. The drone was designed to be recovered and therefore carried a parachute, and it was radio-guided from a nearby ground station. It was then engaged by fighter aircraft or ground-based guns and missiles.
Reader's Guide
The CT 10 served primarily France, though the United Kingdom, Italy, and Sweden also used it. It was retired from French service during the 1950s in favour of more advanced derivatives such as the CT20 and CT41, but was still in widespread use by the British and Swedish air forces throughout the 1960s. Its significance lies in its role as a practical, recoverable target drone that allowed realistic training for anti-aircraft artillery crews and fighter pilots, directly adapted from wartime V-1 technology. The drone's design, with solid rocket boosters enabling a shorter launch ramp and a parachute recovery system, demonstrated an evolution from the V-1's expendable, one-way mission profile to a reusable training asset. A surviving example is displayed in the Overlord Museum in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. The Royal Navy is listed among its operators.
Did You Know?
- The CT 10 was a scaled-down copy of the German V-1 flying bomb, measuring 6 m versus the V-1's 8.32 m.
- It was first launched in December 1949 from a missile range near Colomb-Bechar, Algeria.
- The drone could be recovered via parachute, unlike the expendable V-1.
- More than 400 CT 10s were built, and it was used by France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Sweden.
More in Loitering Munitions and Target Drones 1-24
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