France selects MBDA and Safran for THUNDART long‑range rocket

On 15 June 2026 the French defence procurement agency DGA announced exclusive negotiations with the MBDA‑Safran consortium to develop THUNDART, a new long‑range rocket system intended to replace the aging Lance‑Roquettes Unitaire (LRU). A first test launch was carried out on 14 April from the Levant Island in Var. THUNDART is part of the FLP‑T (Frappe Longue Portée Terrestre) programme, which aims to provide a precision strike capability of about 150 km by 2030, roughly double the current range.

The system will be mounted on a Scania 8×8 truck carrying eight missiles, using Safran’s air‑to‑ground guidance technology derived from the AASM suite. The French decision favours a sovereign solution over the US‑made HIMARS, and rejects competing proposals from Thales‑ArianeGroup, which presented an alternative ballistic munition and launcher. While the negotiations are exclusive, no contract has yet been signed.