Long-range land strike: Thales completes first firings with X-Fire launcher

• Thales has successfully carried out the first live firing from its sovereign X-Fire launcher, developed in partnership with Soframe for long-range land strikes (FLP-t).
• Capable of deploying both sovereign and allied munitions, the X-Fire launcher offers a unique level of operational flexibility.
• This successful test follows the recent firing of the FLP-t 150 sovereign ballistic munition developed by ArianeGroup and Thales.
• Together with its partners, Thales provides armed forces with a comprehensive solution addressing both sovereignty requirements and capability continuity in long-range land strike operations.

The versatile X-Fire launcher © Thales

On May 20, 2026, Thales successfully conducted live firings from the X-Fire launcher, confirming the maturity of this land-based long-range strike system.

Developed in partnership with Soframe, X-Fire features a versatile architecture enabling it to engage deep-strike targets (150 km and beyond), using a wide range of munitions, whether sovereign or allied.

This flexibility complements the solution offered by Thales and its partners to the French forces, in the context of the replacement of the LRU (Unitary Rocket Launcher) system, by addressing two key requirements:

• Providing sovereign munitions for deep-strike operations: together with ArianeGroup, Thales conducted demonstration firings on 5 May of its FLP-T 150 (Long Range Land Strike) ballistic ammunition, which is expected to be available before the end of the decade;
• Ensuring capability continuity as the current LRU system reaches end of life: the X-Fire launcher can operate foreign munitions on a transitional basis, bridging the gap until the French sovereign munition becomes available.

The X-Fire launcher also stands out for :

• An agile 8x8 mobile platform compatible with the French Army's logistics fleet, ensuring a high level of operational synergies.
• Resilient navigation solutions from Thales, including the TopStar Smart Receiver GNSS anti-jamming receiver and the TopAxyz inertial measurement unit. These systems ensure continuous positioning, navigation and timing, as well as high-precision targeting and firing, in contested electromagnetic environments.

The firings carried out on 20 May 2026 from the X-Fire launcher also used the Thales 68mm X-Fum training rocket, which has already been tested on platforms such as the Tiger combat helicopter. Thales is the only manufacturer to offer this training rocket enabling armed forces to take immediate ownership of the system ​ as part of a transition phase.

About Thales

Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies in the defense, aerospace and digital sectors. Its portfolio of innovative products and services helps to address several major challenges: sovereignty, security, sustainability and inclusion.

The Group allocates 4.5 billion euros per year in Research & Development in key areas, notably for critical environments such as Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Quantum and Cloud technologies.

Thales has more than 85,000 employees in 65 countries and achieved a turnover of 22.1 billion euros in 2025.