Thales Belgium, the European leader in 70-mm rocket systems, has inaugurated a new production line at its Herstal site, a few months after the Belgian Minister of Defence Ludivine Dedonder signed a letter of intent expressing her support for the ramp-up of Thales’s ordnance production activities. The higher production rates will make it possible to respond faster to the ammunition requirements of the armed forces. The rocket is the NATO-standard 70-mm (2.75 inch) calibre currently being used in Ukraine.
In the space of less than a year, Thales Belgium has laid the groundwork for increased production of 70-mm rockets to meet the needs of European armed forces. Thales Belgium is the only manufacturer of these munitions in Europe. To boost output, the Group has hired more than 50 new staff, strengthened the supply chain and moved towards vertical integration of a number of additional activities. Production capacity will increase from 1,000 guided rockets to 5,000 by 2025.
The rockets developed by Thales Belgium offer a high level of interoperability and resistance to jamming and can be deployed by many types of manned and unmanned land, air and naval platforms. They are also suitable for use by drone countermeasures systems and to support ground-to-ground strike capabilities.
“The inauguration of this new production line at the Thales site in Herstal demonstrates the Group’s commitment to constant innovation and investment in strategic production capacities for Europe. Supported by the Belgian government and the European Commission as part of its Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP), Thales Belgium is making its expertise as European leader in 70mm rocket systems available to the European armed forces”, said Hervé Dammann, Executive Vice President, Land and Air Systems, Thales.
