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The two companies have been chosen to provide the sovereign THUNDART solution, designed to renew France’s ground-launched tactical deep strike capability by preparing the replacement of the Unitary Rocket Launcher (LRU, Lance-Roquettes Unitaire).
Developed jointly by Safran Electronics & Defense and MBDA, THUNDART will provide the French Army with a new long-range precision strike capability, adapted to the requirements of high-intensity conflict and capable of operating in the most contested environments. Designed, developed and produced in France, THUNDART will also offer the French Armed Forces full autonomy of use by 2030.
Following an initial development phase that led to a successful demonstration fire in April 2026, Safran Electronics & Defense and MBDA will create a 50/50 joint venture to pilote the project's next steps. Located in the Paris region, the joint venture will manage the development, production, and in-service support of THUNDART. It will also oversee future evolutions, including future adaptation to other environments and allied export markets.
Alexandre Ziegler, Head of the Defense Global Business Unit at Safran Electronics & Defense, added: “This selection reflects the complementarity of our expertise with MBDA. Faced with the critical challenges of interference and denial of access to GNSS signals, Safran Electronics & Defense provides its proven leadership in inertial navigation and optronics technologies to ensure accuracy in all circumstances. I would like to thank the DGA for their renewed confidence. Safran Electronics & Defense will be able to capitalize on its expertise in the fields of guidance and navigation.”
Stéphane Reb, Executive Vice President Programmes and Managing Director of MBDA France, stated: “The notification of the THUNDART programme marks a decisive step for French sovereignty in terms of long-range land strikes. By leveraging mature subsystems and an industrial ramp-up that is already underway, we are able to respond with agility to the Army’s most specific needs. The close partnership with Safran Electronics & Defense, embodied in the creation of a joint venture, allows us to mobilise all the skills of our teams and our production capabilities to deliver a complete solution within optimised deadlines. I thank the DGA for its confidence in our solution and our teams.”
Relying on mature subsystems, the programme already involves several dozen engineers following on from the first phase of the Innovative Partnership. It will support sustainable industrial activity by generating numerous engineering and production jobs at the two groups’ strategic sites, as well as at their subcontractors throughout France (Aquitaine, Brittany, Centre-Val de Loire, Île-de-France, Pays de la Loire, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur).
Safran is an international high-technology group, operating in the aviation (propulsion, equipment and interiors), defense and space markets. Its core purpose is to contribute to a safer, more sustainable world, where air transport is more environmentally friendly, comfortable and accessible. Safran has a global presence, with more than 110,000 employees and revenue of 31.3 billion euros in 2025, and holds, alone or in partnership, global or regional leadership positions in its core markets. Safran undertakes research and development programs to maintain the environmental priorities of its R&T and Innovation roadmaps.
Safran Electronics & Defense is a high-technology industrial company operating in the aerospace, defense, and space sectors. For over 100 years, the company has been designing, developing, and manufacturing equipment and services for both civil and military clients - on land, at sea, in the air and in space. A leader in its markets, Safran Electronics & Defense offers cutting-edge solutions in avionics, critical electronics, optronics, inertial navigation, precise timing, guidance, actuation, flight controls, satellite engines, and artificial intelligence for industry and defense. Our 19,000 employees across five continents are proud to support their customers, States and their armed forces, in strengthening their autonomy and sovereignty, and to contribute to the safety of air transport passengers.
MBDA (mbda-systems.com) is a unique multi-national European group, a global leader in complex weapon systems, playing a key role in the protection of nations. Established in the spirit of international co-operation, MBDA and its 21,000+ employees work together to support the sovereignty of its nations, and allied countries worldwide. As an accelerator of innovation, MBDA is the only European group capable of designing and manufacturing complex weapons to meet all current and future operational requirements of all three of the armed forces (land, sea and air). MBDA is owned by Airbus (37.5%), BAE Systems (37.5%) and Leonardo (25%).
MBDA Contact: Maria Mellouli
E: maria.mellouli[.]mbda-systems.com.
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lucie.baton[.]safrangroup.com 
