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France tests MPLS naval launcher with first 68mm laser-guided rocket for last ship defense.


Naval Group and Thales carried out the first guided rocket firing from the Multi-purpose and Modular Launching System (MPLS) turret as part of its 2026 qualification campaign.

On January 30, 2026, France's Naval Group and Thales conducted the first qualification firing of the Multi-purpose and Modular Launching System (MPLS) naval launcher using a 68mm laser-guided rocket. The test validated the rocket's integration within the stabilized turret and confirmed the launcher's ready-to-fire status before sea trials from a French Navy vessel in Q3 2026. The MPLS system is designed to provide layered ship self-defense within 8 km against drones, unmanned surface vehicles, and small craft.
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The January 2026 qualification firing involved a 68 mm laser-guided rocket, a standard ammunition used by French armed forces that was adapted for counter-drone operations, including optimized proximity functions for aerial and surface targets. (Picture source: Naval Group)

The January 2026 qualification firing involved a 68 mm laser-guided rocket, a standard ammunition used by French armed forces that was adapted for counter-drone operations, including optimized proximity functions for aerial and surface targets. (Picture source: Naval Group)


The French companies Naval Group and Thales carried out the first qualification firing of the Multi-purpose and Modular Launching System (MPLS) using a 68 mm laser-guided rocket, marking a new phase in the system’s validation before sea-based trials. The test, which marked the first rocket launch from the MPLS turret itself and was only announced on February 9, 2026, validated the integration of the guided rocket within the MPLS turret and confirmed the launcher’s ready-to-fire status after the demonstrator had been declared operationally prepared in November 2025. The MPLS system is being developed for the French Navy and for export markets as a multi-ammunition, flexible close-in weapon system intended to cover the last 8 kilometers of ship self-defense. The 2026 test sequence will include land trials, initiated in January, additional guided firings in spring, and sea-based engagements from a French Navy vessel planned for the third quarter of 2026 against fixed and moving targets.

Coinciding with the World Defense Show 2026 in Riyadh, where Naval Group displayed an FDI frigate model equipped with this launcher, the January 2026 qualification firing involved a 68 mm laser-guided rocket, which corresponds to the standard used by French armed forces and was adapted for counter-drone operations, including optimized proximity functions for aerial and surface targets. Thales produces both 68 mm and 70 mm rocket families, with the latter representing the NATO-standard line manufactured by Thales Belgium and including airburst unguided variants for UAV interception as well as guided versions for export customers. Additional trials in 2026 are planned with 70 mm rockets from Thales Belgium, and the broader effector roadmap includes Lightweight Multi-role Missiles, short-range surface-to-air missiles such as Mistral, precision anti-surface missiles such as Akeron MP or LP, loitering munitions, rocket-borne depth charges, anti-submarine grenades, and decoys including CANTO and RF or infrared rounds supplied by Lacroix Défense.

Naval Group's Multi-purpose and Modular Launching System (MPLS), also known in French as the Lanceur Modulaire Polyvalent (LMP), was unveiled in 2023 during Naval Innovation Days and publicly highlighted at Euronaval 2024, where Naval Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding on November 7, 2024, with Thales and KNDS to integrate their munitions. Work was also initiated with MBDA to incorporate the Mistral and Akeron missile families into the launcher architecture. In October 2024, a live-fire campaign in Belgium validated the 70 mm rocket munition module produced by Thales Belgium. On November 5, 2025, the MPLS demonstrator achieved ready-to-fire validation at the Angoulême-Ruelle site, establishing the transition from development to qualification trials in 2026. The program is structured to progress from land-based validation to sea trials before any decision on serial production. The MPLS concept also allows the integration of local ammunition suppliers for export users when required.

The MPLS is built around a two-axis stabilized turret capable of circular rotation and elevation between approximately -20 and +60 degrees, integrating firing computers, a ballistic calculator, and an electro-optical fire-control system to engage maneuvering targets. Each turret incorporates four independent ammunition modules that can be configured according to mission requirements, enabling mixed loads of rockets, missiles, grenades, underwater weapons, decoys, and unmanned systems. The total ammunition payload per turret is about 1,000 kilograms, and the total loaded mass of the installation remains below 3,500 kilograms, allowing integration on various surface combatants without extensive structural modification. Ships can be fitted with one or more turrets, depending on size and operational needs. The launcher supports pneumatic and pyrotechnic ejection modes and includes rear deflectors to limit heat and backblast impact on nearby structures such as masts and antennas. Moreover, the induction interface between rocket and launcher reduces ejecta and simplifies loading by eliminating wiring connections, improving handling safety.

Operational integration foresees three levels of employment. In standalone mode, the MPLS turret can carry its own laser designator and independently designate targets for guided rockets. A second level connects to sensors located on the FDI asymmetric combat bridge, enabling fused onboard sensors to provide target designation. A third level integrates the launcher into the combat information center through the ship’s combat management system, allowing centralized control and coordination with other effectors such as the Sylver vertical launch system carrying Aster missiles. The MPLS is intended to complement higher-end interceptors by engaging lower-cost threats within the last 8 kilometers, including drones, unmanned surface vehicles, loitering munitions, and small surface craft, thereby preserving vertical launch capacity for supersonic and short-range ballistic threats.

Integration studies have examined installation on FDI frigates, FREMM frigates, Gowind corvettes, and Mistral-class amphibious assault ships. Concepts include placement on helicopter hangar roofs or on sponsons, potentially replacing existing SIMBAD manned launchers on Mistral-class vessels. The modular architecture also supports scaling, including a single-module configuration under study for the Seaquest drone compared with the four-module configuration of the standard turret. Reload concepts include full module swaps or individual rocket replenishment, with an objective of rapid reconfiguration based on mission and theater, and work is underway to enable at-sea reloading in addition to quay-side handling. The development has been self-funded by the industrial partners, with investment recovery linked to serial production sales once qualification of safety chains, module interfaces, and effector clearances is completed.


Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.


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