Lockheed offers France HIMARS on an 18-month clock as Paris nears launcher decision
Lockheed Martin is promising France HIMARS launchers in 2028, ahead of the country's own long-range fires candidates, weeks before Paris picks its LRU replacement.
Lockheed Martin is promising France HIMARS launchers in 2028, ahead of the country's own long-range fires candidates, weeks before Paris picks its LRU replacement.
Lockheed Martin has formally offered its HIMARS rocket artillery to France, with company officials pledging deliveries 18 months after a contract signature, Breaking Defense reported on June 10, citing sources close to the matter. The offer was made in consultation with Washington, the sources said, and would transfer a significant share of the launchers in 2028. The systems would fire the same GMLRS rockets France's legacy LRU launchers already use.
The pitch lands on a schedule problem Paris has not solved. The FLP-T deep-strike program, launched in 2023 with about €600 million in the 2024-2030 military programming law, must replace LRU launchers that leave service as early as 2027. Neither French candidate is ready. Safran and MBDA first fired their Thundart rocket in mid-April; Thales and ArianeGroup followed with the FLP-t 150 on May 5. Both 150-kilometer munitions are due to be operational around 2030, Le Parisien noted, and Forecast International assessed that France faces a choice between a foreign buy and a fires gap once the LRUs retire.
The American track has been running for months. The US government answered France's request for HIMARS pricing and delivery schedules in early 2026, the French defense ministry told Breaking Defense. Challenges confirmed the offer in May after senator Cédric Perrin disclosed it in a question to armed forces minister Catherine Vautrin. Vautrin has called a ministerial investment committee before the summer break, targeting 13 to 26 launchers in service by 2030 from an envelope trimmed to €500 million, per OpexNews.
Resistance is organized. Perrin opposes an American buy, President Macron has made European preference a rearmament principle, and IFRI analyst Léo Péria-Peigné said he expects significant pushback, with the DGA procurement agency the likeliest supporter. French coverage keeps returning to Estonia, whose HIMARS arrived months late, according to BFMTV. Whether Lockheed could move France ahead of existing customers is unclear; Canada signed for 26 launchers on June 3 with deliveries starting in 2029, The Defense Post wrote.
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Subscribe Free →Lockheed is selling the one spec the French teams cannot offer, launchers in 2028 against domestic rockets due around 2030. Vautrin's summer committee now puts a number on European preference: the two-year gap between an American launcher and a French one.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly did Lockheed Martin offer France?
Per Breaking Defense, Lockheed formally offered HIMARS with deliveries pledged 18 months after contract signature, a significant share of launchers transferred in 2028, and compatibility with the GMLRS rockets France's LRU launchers already fire. The offer was made in consultation with Washington.
Why does France need new rocket launchers?
The army's LRU launchers, a French version of the American M270 with a roughly 70-kilometer reach, become obsolete and leave service as early as 2027, according to Capital.fr and BFMTV. The FLP-T program, launched in 2023, is meant to replace them.
What are the French alternatives to HIMARS?
Two consortia: Safran and MBDA with the Thundart rocket, and Thales and ArianeGroup with the FLP-t 150 munition plus the Soframe-built X-Fire launcher. Both 150-kilometer rockets had first test firings in April and May 2026, per Janes and Opex360, with service entry expected around 2030.
When will France decide?
Armed forces minister Catherine Vautrin has scheduled a ministerial investment committee before the summer break, per OpexNews, with a target of 13 to 26 launchers in service by 2030 inside an envelope of about €500 million.
Why is buying HIMARS controversial in Paris?
President Macron has pushed a European preference in defense procurement, and senator Cédric Perrin opposes an American pick. French outlets, including BFMTV and L'Indépendant, also point to US control over munitions use and to Estonia's HIMARS deliveries running months late.
AI-generated summary, reviewed by an editor. More on our AI guidelines.
Marcus Schuler
Marcus Schuler edits BattlePolicy, a daily defense-technology brief connecting the companies and capabilities behind modern war to the contest among Europe, the US, Russia, and China.