France details plans for MRLs, ballistic missiles, and future MBT

Turgis Gaillard's Foudre MRL, shown at the Paris Air Show 2025, is a contender to replace French MLRS systems. (Janes/Tom Barton)

Délégué Général pour l'Armement Patrick Pailloux, who heads the French defence procurement agency (Direction Générale de l'Armement: DGA), updated France's parliament (Assemblée Nationale), on the country's Military Programming Law (Loi de Programmation Militaire: LPM) 2024-2030 military funding programme on 15 April 2026. This included plans for multiple rocket launchers (MRLs), ballistic missiles, and future tanks.

He told lawmakers, “Regarding the replacement of the LRU [Lance-Roquettes Unitaire MRL]...the aim is to acquire 26 launchers and 300 munitions to progressively equip an entire battalion by 2030. Tests are currently ongoing.”

Referring to the European Long-Range Strike Approach (ELSA), Pailloux said, “France has decided to obtain a ground-launched deep-strike ballistic missile capability out to 2,500 km. You'll see in the LPM that we have set aside EUR1.1 billion [nearly USD1.2 billion]...we have identified the desired technical solution: a missile equipped with a [hypersonic glide vehicle] that we have determined is likely the best solution in terms of cost and military effectiveness. We are also in discussions with our partners - the British, Germans, Swedes and Poles - to see whether or not we can develop something together, which may impact the design solution depending on the outcome of these talks.”

Regarding ground-based ballistic missiles, Pailloux told parliamentarians, “Initial studies will begin this year [2026] with the initial projection of an entry into service in 2035. It's a bit later than we'd like, I concede, and I will endeavour to bring that back, perhaps with the delivery of different increments.”