Safran and MBDA Chosen to Produce New Strike Capability for France

On Sept. 10, 2026, Safran announced that it and MBDA received approval from the French Defense Procurement Agency to produce France's new long-range land strike capability under the THUNDART program. To execute the program, Safran and MBDA plan to establish a joint venture to lead development.

Designed to replace France's ground-launched Unitary Rocket Launcher, a variant of the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System, THUNDART will give the nation full operational autonomy by 2030.