Lockheed Offers France HIMARS in 18 Months for €600 Million FLP-T Program
Updated
Updated · Breaking Defense · Jun 10
Lockheed Offers France HIMARS in 18 Months for €600 Million FLP-T Program
2 articles · Updated · Breaking Defense · Jun 10
Summary
Lockheed Martin has formally offered France HIMARS with an 18-month delivery pledge if Paris signs, with a significant share of launchers envisioned for transfer in 2028.
The offer targets France’s €600 million FLP-T program, launched in 2023 to replace aging LRU rocket systems that could retire as early as 2027 and leave a long-range fires gap.
Washington already answered France’s request for HIMARS pricing and delivery schedules in early 2026, and the proposal would let France keep using the same GMLRS rockets as its legacy LRUs.
France is still weighing domestic teams—Safran/MBDA and Thales/ArianeGroup—alongside other off-the-shelf options, while analysts say French-made systems remain under development and not yet in production.
Political resistance could complicate a U.S. buy: analysts expect pushback over dependence on Washington, even as procurement officials and other stakeholders may favor a fast interim fix.