Thales and ArianeGroup have completed the first successful firing of the FLP-t 150 ballistic munition, marking a key milestone in France’s program to replace its aging Lance-Roquettes Unitaire (LRU) systems. The flight test took place on 5 May 2026 at the Île du Levant test range with support from France’s defence procurement agency test unit.
The FLP-t 150 is a guided rocket with an operational range of more than 150 km, positioning it at the upper limit of conventional artillery systems. The test validated the munition’s architecture, propulsion and guidance, confirming performance objectives for long-range land strike in high-intensity combat environments.
The weapon is integrated into the X-Fire land launcher, developed by Thales with Soframe. X-Fire is described as a highly mobile, interoperable launcher capable of firing both French sovereign munitions and compatible foreign rockets. It is designed to be integrated into the ATLAS artillery automation and fire-control system to support networked operations.
Within the industrial partnership, Thales is responsible for the overall system, including the launcher, fire-control and launch system, while ArianeGroup develops the munition’s propulsion and control. X-Fire’s first demonstration firings are planned before the end of May 2026, as France advances toward a new long-range, land-based strike capability.