MBDA and Safran Electronics & Defense have entered the final phase of negotiations to conclude the future implementation contract with the French defence procurement agency (DGA) for the successor program to Lance-Roquettes Unitaire (LRU), with their solution THUNDART, the next-generation artillery system. This decision marks a major step in the renewal of French land strike capabilities in depth, and in the preparation for the replacement of the French LRU. The THUNDART system will also meet the operational needs of many French allied countries.
Developed jointly by MBDA and Safran Electronics & Defense, THUNDART will offer the French armed forces a precision strike capability of up to 150 km, designed to meet the demands of high-intensity conflicts and capable of being deployed in the most contested environments.
Designed, developed, and produced in France, THUNDART offers the French armed forces complete operational flexibility, regardless of the situation, while ensuring full autonomy in export decisions.
Capable of entering operational service as early as 2030, THUNDART combines the recognized expertise of MBDA, Safran Electronics & Defense, and Roxel, a subsidiary of MBDA, in propulsion, guidance, navigation, and terminal precision. The system has been designed to maintain a high level of performance, even in degraded or contested environments, including in the event of jamming or loss of GNSS signals.
“We are incredibly proud of this selection and the recognition of the work of our respective teams with Safran Electronics & Defense. THUNDART represents far more than a new strike capability: it is a sovereign, robust, and adaptable response to the operational challenges of the French Army. Thanks to the complementary nature of our industrial expertise, we are offering the French armed forces a strategic capacity designed to last, and capable of adapting to future conflicts”, said Stéphane Reb, EVP Programmes and Managing Director of MBDA France.
“This selection is a great source of pride for our teams, and we thank the DGA for the trust they have placed in us. It rewards several years of innovation, commitment, and collective work alongside MBDA. With THUNDART, we provide the French Army with a new-generation sovereign capability, able to operate in the most contested environments. This capability also meets the needs expressed by several France's allied countries, with the potential to be offered for export", added Alexandre Ziegler, Director of the Defense Global Business Unit of Safran Electronics & Defense.
THUNDART is a comprehensive solution. The launcher is developed by Safran Electronics & Defense with the support of leading industrial partners, including Scania France, CMAR, and Essone. The system's architecture allows for native integration with the French Army's information systems, particularly the ATLAS fire management system. Its modular design also facilitates integration into various command ecosystems, thus meeting specific export markets requirements.
The ammunition pod has also been designed for integration on other platforms to address the needs of export customers and to support the evolution of the long-range artillery market.
In addition, MBDA and Safran Electronics & Defense plan to establish a joint venture, equally owned, to accelerate the development of THUNDART and its future upgrades, including range increases, adaptation to new operational environments, and continuous system capability enhancement.
This industrial momentum will be accompanied by recruitment at several strategic sites: Fougères, Éragny, Montluçon for Safran Electronics & Defense, and Bourges, Saint-Médard-en-Jalles, Selles-Saint-Denis, Le Plessis-Robinson for MBDA.