PARIS — France is pushing ahead with plans to develop its own long-range rocket artillery system, aiming to conduct a test firing of the domestically produced capability by mid-2026.
The move comes as part of a broader national strategy to maintain strategic autonomy in defense and reduce reliance on foreign weapons systems such as the U.S.-made HIMARS.
The project, named Frappe Longue Portée Terrestre (FLP-T), is being led by the French Directorate General for Armament (DGA), which is working in collaboration with two competing industrial consortia.
One includes defense giants Safran and MBDA, and the other consists of Thales and ArianeGroup. Both teams are tasked with developing a tactical rocket artillery system capable of striking targets up to 150 kilometers (93 miles) away.
The urgency behind the project stems from the approaching retirement of France’s Lance-Roquettes Unitaire (LRU) systems, a localized version of the M270 multiple launch rocket system. Only nine LRU systems remain in the French Army’s arsenal, and they are scheduled to be phased out by 2027.
“Service withdrawal of the LRU is approaching, and retention of the capability will be an issue at that point,” said Léo Péria-Peigné, an expert in armament capacity at the Institut Français des Relations Internationales (IFRI).
However, he noted that the sense of urgency is somewhat tempered by the limited operational use of the system over the past three decades.
In line with France’s long-standing policy of defense independence, lawmakers and military officials have favored a homegrown solution over purchasing a foreign system like the American HIMARS.
This aligns with the 2024-2030 French defense spending plan, which has allocated €600 million ($663 million) for the development of the FLP-T program.
Safran and MBDA confirmed they are on track to meet the DGA’s “ambitious” timeline and expect to complete a demonstration firing by mid-2026.
Thales, while not providing specific dates, stated that its team has been working in close integration with ArianeGroup for several months to deliver a “pertinent solution” for the French Armed Forces.
The defense procurement agency said the replacement schedule is “proceeding nominally” and remains in line with the broader defense law’s timetable. The goal is to acquire at least 13 systems by 2030 and expand to 26 by 2035, enough to fully equip one artillery battalion.
Nonetheless, officials have left the door open to an international purchase should the domestic program face delays. A final decision on whether to proceed with a foreign alternative will be made in 2026, offering a potential contingency plan.
With geopolitical tensions and battlefield lessons from Ukraine reinforcing the strategic value of mobile rocket artillery, France’s push to build its own capability represents both a technical and symbolic step toward enhanced European defense autonomy.
