France Picks Safran-MBDA 150-Km Rocket Artillery, Rejecting HIMARS
Updated
Updated · Defense News · Jun 15
France Picks Safran-MBDA 150-Km Rocket Artillery, Rejecting HIMARS
3 articles · Updated · Defense News · Jun 15
Summary
Exclusive talks with Safran and MBDA mark France’s choice of a domestically produced rocket-artillery system and munitions to replace its aging M270-based LRU launchers.
Deep strike is one of the French Army’s biggest capability gaps as it prepares for high-intensity warfare, with commanders calling rocket artillery essential for a war-ready division by 2027 and an initial replacement capability by 2030.
Safran-MBDA beat rival offers from Thales-ArianeGroup, Lockheed Martin’s HIMARS and Hanwha’s Chunmoo after Paris weighed delivery time, capability, affordability and sovereignty.
The consortium said in April it could deliver first launchers in 2029; its Thundart munition has a 150-km range, metric accuracy and possible growth to 300 km.
With US tech blocks and huge costs, is France's new sovereign rocket a strategic masterstroke or a dangerous gamble?
As France prioritizes its own weapons, is it building a stronger Europe or a more fractured NATO alliance?
France Selects THUNDART for 150 km Sovereign Rocket Artillery: Strategic Leap for Defense Autonomy and Export Ambitions
Overview
On June 15, 2026, France announced its selection of the domestic Safran-MBDA THUNDART system at Eurosatory 2026, marking a pivotal moment in the country’s long-range land strike capabilities. This decision highlights France’s commitment to sovereign defense solutions, as THUNDART is designed to meet the demanding requirements of the Feux Longue Portée-Terre (FLP-T) program. The first increment of THUNDART targets a 150 km strike capability, with its precision enhanced by Safran’s proven AASM Hammer guidance technology. The system’s development reached a milestone with its first successful live-fire demonstration in April 2026, showing rapid progress toward strengthening France’s independent military power.