France orders Thundart long-range rocket system from MBDA, Safran

The French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) has notified MBDA and Safran Electronics & Defense of the contract for Thundart, the guided rocket system selected to replace the French Army’s M270-derived Lance-Roquettes Unitaire (LRU) launchers. 

The contract notification formalizes the outcome of the Frappe Longue Portée Terrestre (FLP-T, or long-range land strike) competition. French Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin opened exclusive negotiations with the MBDA-Safran team on June 15, 2026, during the Eurosatory exhibition near Paris. 

Neither company disclosed the value of the contract, nor the number of launchers and munitions covered. The annexed report to France’s 2024-2030 military programming law (LPM) called for at least 13 systems by 2030 and 26 by 2035. 

The FLP-T program is intended to replace the nine LRU systems currently fielded by the French Army’s 1st Artillery Regiment, after France donated several of its launchers to Ukraine. 

France formalizes Thundart selection 

According to MBDA and Safran, Thundart will be designed, developed and produced in France, with the system intended to give the French armed forces full autonomy of use by 2030. 

MBDA and Safran Electronics & Defense will establish a 50/50 joint venture in the Paris region to manage Thundart’s development, production and in-service support, as well as future adaptations for other environments and allied export customers. The joint venture is expected to be created in January 2027. 

According to Stéphane Reb, executive vice president for programs and managing director of MBDA France, the program relies on mature subsystems and an industrial ramp-up that is already underway. 

The companies announced that several dozen engineers are already working on Thundart, with activities spread across their own sites and subcontractors in six French regions. 

MBDA and Safran create joint venture for Thundart 

Thundart rocket presented by Safran and MBDA at Eurosatory 2026 (Credit: AeroTime)The Thundart system will increase the French Army’s long-range strike reach from around 80 kilometers (50 miles) to 150 kilometers (93 miles).  

Safran describes the Thundart launcher as a two-axis turret carrying two pods, each containing four guided rockets. 

Safran Electronics & Defense supplies the guidance kit, which is derived from technology developed for the AASM Hammer precision-guided weapon. It combines inertial navigation with optronic guidance designed to preserve accuracy when satellite navigation signals are jammed or unavailable. The rocket propulsion system is supplied by Roxel, an MBDA subsidiary. 

Thundart completed its first demonstration firing on April 14, 2026, at the DGA’s Île du Levant test range in southern France. 

Thundart to extend French Army strike range to 150 km 

Safran and MBDA outline potential development paths for the Thundart long-range strike system at Eurosatory 2026. (Credit: AeroTime)Thundart has won out against the competing ArianeGroup and Thales proposal, known as FLP-t 150, which conducted its own first firing on May 5, 2026. 

The ministry said that the DGA had assessed the sovereign and alternative proposals on technical performance, schedule, cost, and reliance on foreign suppliers before selecting the MBDA-Safran solution. 

Thundart is intended to restore and expand France’s sovereign ground-based long-range strike capability as the French Army prepares to retire its remaining LRU systems around the end of the decade. Ultimately, though, it may be only the first member of a broader Thundart family. 

At Eurosatory 2026, Safran presented several possible development paths, including an extended-range ground-launched variant reaching 300 kilometers (186 miles), an air-launched version for fighter aircraft and a naval variant intended for FREMM and FDI frigates as well as PHA amphibious helicopter carriers. 

The display also highlighted planned integration with the ATLAS artillery fire-management system and suggested that the Thundart launcher could eventually accommodate the MBDA Crossbow one-way effector.The post France orders Thundart long-range rocket system from MBDA, Safran appeared first on AeroTime.

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