MBDA and Safran conduct first firing of Thundart artillery rocket
MBDA and Safran conducted the first firing of the Thundart artillery rocket from Île du Levant on 14 April 2026. (MBDA)
MBDA announced on 29 April 2026 that it and Safran Electronics & Defense conducted the first firing of the Thunderart artillery rocket on 14 April. The launch to validate the rocket's design and propulsion system was supported by the French Direction Générale de l'Armement (DGA) Essais de Missiles, the French defence procurement agency's missile launch testing centre.
MBDA said the launch from the Île du Levant island firing range in the Mediterranean south of Toulon took place only weeks before the DGA's upcoming decision on the replacement of the Frence Army's Lance-Roquettes Unitaires (LRU) multiple rocket launchers (MRLs) that will become obsolete by 2030. According to MBDA, the high supersonic speed Thundart is powered by a propulsion system from its subsidiary, Roxel, and has a range of 150 km.
The company said it and Safran are pooling their expertise to accelerate the development of Thundart, with the aim of the first systems becoming operational by 2030. The artillery rocket is equipped with a guidance kit similar to Safran's Armement Air-Sol Modulaire (AASM) modular air-to-ground weapon.
MBDA expressed both companies' preparedness to ramp up production and expand their capacity for mass production. MBDA plans to invest EUR2 billion (USD2.3 billion) in France between 2026 and 2030 and to increase production by 40% from 2025 to 2026, while Safran has quadrupled AASM production between 2022 and 2025.
MBDA and Safran are considering establishing a joint venture to continue the development of Thundart and possibly of long-range artillery.
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