MBDA and Safran Electronics & Defense have entered into exclusive negotiations with the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) regarding the successor program to the Unitary Rocket Launcher (LRU) with their THUNDART solution. This decision marks a major step in renewing France’s deep ground strike capabilities and preparing for the LRU replacement. The THUNDART solution will also meet the operational needs of numerous allied countries.
Developed jointly by MBDA and Safran Electronics & Defense, THUNDART will offer the French armed forces a precision strike capability up to 150 km, adapted to the requirements of high-intensity conflicts and capable of being engaged in the most contested environments.
Designed, developed and produced in France, THUNDART offers the French armed forces freedom of use, whatever the operational situation, while ensuring autonomy of decision-making in export matters.
“We are extremely proud of this selection and the recognition of the work of our respective teams with Safran Electronics & Defense. THUNDART represents much more than a new strike capability: it is a sovereign, robust and scalable response to the operational challenges of the French Army. Thanks to the complementarity of our industrial expertise, we offer the French armed forces a strategic capability designed to last and adapt to future conflicts,” says Stéphane Reb, EVP Programs and Managing Director of MBDA France .
“This important milestone is a source of immense 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 collaborative work alongside MBDA. With THUNDART, we will provide the French Army with a new generation sovereign capability, able to operate in the most contested environments. This capability will also meet needs expressed by several of France’s allies, with the aim of offering it for export,” adds Alexandre Ziegler, Director of the Global Business Unit for Defense at Safran Electronics & Defense .
THUNDART is a complete 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, notably the ATLAS fire management system. Its modular design also facilitates integration into various command ecosystems, thus meeting the specific requirements of export markets.
The ammunition basket was also designed to be integrated with other platforms to meet the specific needs of export customers and to support developments in the long-range artillery market.
MBDA and Safran Electronics & Defense also plan to create a joint venture owned equally in order to accelerate the development of THUNDART and its future evolutions: increased range, adaptation to new operational environments and continuous enrichment of the system’s capabilities.
This industrial dynamic will be accompanied by recruitment at several strategic sites, notably in Fougères, Éragny and Montluçon for Safran Electronics & Defense, as well as in Bourges, Saint-Médard-en-Jalles, Selles-Saint-Denis and Le Plessis-Robinson for MBDA.
