MBDA and Safran Electronics & Defense have presented THUNDART, a truck-fired, ground-to-ground rocket system designed to compete in France’s Long-Range Land Strike programme, known as FLP-T. The system centres on a 150 kilometre range rocket and is being pitched as an operationally mature option for delivery before 2030.
The FLP-T programme was launched by the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) in 2023 to replace unitary rocket launchers currently in service. France operates nine such launchers with a maximum range of about 70 kilometres. MBDA and Safran say they are responding with a solution intended to extend strike reach and adapt to lessons drawn from recent high-intensity conflicts.
THUNDART combines MBDA’s land combat and deep strike experience with Safran’s guidance expertise derived from the AASM modular air-to-ground kit. The two companies began their formal partnership in 2024 and showcased the system at Eurosatory in June 2024, using the watchword “sovereignty”. Demonstration firings are scheduled for mid-2026.
Manufacturing and export control are central to the proposal. MBDA and Safran point to production capacity in France, including MBDA facilities in the Centre-Val de Loire region, and emphasise an ITAR free export stance. The companies say the arrangement would preserve domestic control over further development and production decisions.
Technically, THUNDART is described as off-road capable, autonomous, and resilient to temperature variations. It is intended to engage fixed and mobile targets and to integrate with French Army command and control, including the ATLAS fire control system. Safran will adapt a fire control design that it uses on the CAESAR howitzer to meet FLP-T requirements.
Industry statements frame THUNDART as a response to evolving battlefield requirements and a way to maintain European industrial independence in long-range munitions. The next milestone for the programme will be the mid-2026 demonstration firings, after which the DGA and armed forces will evaluate operational suitability and production timelines.