Future Artillery 2025: France plans MRL procurement with Belgian involvement

France is seeking a sovereign solution to replace its MLRSs in a procurement involving Belgium. (French MoD)

France plans to procure a multiple rocket launcher (MRL) with Belgian involvement, Janes learnt at Defence iQ's Future Artillery 2025 conference held in London from 20 to 22 May. The procurement aims to replace French Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRSs) and will introduce MRLs into Belgian service.

The French Army is seeking a sovereign solution and plans to request studies from two competing consortiums or to buy MRLs off the shelf.

The Belgian and French armies are integrating through their bilateral Capacité Motorisée (Motorised Capability: CaMo) programme, procuring the same vehicles under the French SCORPION transformation programme: Jaguar armoured reconnaissance vehicles, Griffon Véhicule Blindé Multi-Rôle (VBMR) heavy multirole armoured vehicles, including the artillery observation version, and CAESAR wheeled self-propelled howitzers (SPHs). Interoperability between the two armies is provided with common software for the Système d'Information du Combat SCORPION (SICS) battle management system and the Automatisation des Tirs et des Liaisons de l'Artillerie Sol/sol (ATLAS) artillery fire-control and command system.

Belgium is involved in the configuration management of the evolution of SCORPION vehicles as well as in the development of Griffon engineering vehicles and Véhicule Blindé d'Aide à l'Engagement (VBAE) light tactical vehicles to be jointly procured this decade.

France has only nine MLRSs after donating four of the systems to Ukraine.

For more information, please see Feature: Belgian and French armies integrate through Capacité Motorisée .