Soldiers assigned to the 14th Field Artillery Regiment, 75th Field Artillery Brigade fire rockets out of an M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System during a media engagement on camp Tapa, Estonia (US Army)
MILAN — Lockheed Martin has formally offered its HIMARS artillery system to France, with company officials pledging an 18-month delivery time if Paris puts them on contract, according to sources close to the matter.
The offer, which the sources say was made in consultation with Washington, is based on internal investments from the world’s largest defense contractor that would speed up the procurement process. The American proposal further envisions transferring a significant portion of the launchers to France in 2028, with the plan that the launchers could use the same GMLRS rockets used by Paris’ legacy LRU systems.
The French media publication Challenges was the first to report Lockheed was talking to Paris about the FLP-T (Frappe Longue Portée – Terre) program, for which the country has allocated approximately €600 million ($692 million) in its 2024-2030 Military Programming Act. Launched in 2023, the program seeks to replace France’s aging fleet of LRU multiple-launch rocket systems, which are set to be retired as early as 2027.
