France seeks new generation MLRS to enhance military capabilities

The LRU systems, which entered service in the early 1990s, are currently used by several European nations, including France, Germany, the UK, and Italy. Equipped with GPS-guided M31 rockets capable of striking targets from 15 km to over 80 km, these systems are integral to France’s 1st Artillery Regiment.

However, with only 13 updated LRUs remaining after a reduction in orders post-Cold War, and some units transferred to Ukraine in October 2022, France has significantly reduced its rocket artillery regiments.

Army Chief of Staff General Pierre Schill highlighted before the parliamentary defence committee last November the need for more advanced systems. The desired MLRS would have modular capabilities and be able to launch various missile types with a reach of up to 500 km.

In line with the Military Programming Law adopted in July last year, France plans to allocate 600 million euros to procure 13 new artillery systems by 2030, with a long-term goal of expanding to 26 systems by 2035. The French Ministry of the Armed Forces has expressed a preference for a domestically developed solution, with design and construction proposals anticipated from French consortiums including Safran and MBDA.

Additionally, the open tender may also attract international bids, with American defence giant Lockheed Martin expected to offer its combat-proven M142 HIMARS system. The FLP-T program, budgeted at 124 million euros for the current year.

This strategic upgrade underlines France’s commitment to maintaining a robust and responsive military force in an increasingly volatile global security environment.