French Navy begins first Rampart launcher trials on Mistral amphibious ship for drone defense.

The French Navy has fitted a Mistral-class amphibious assault ship with Naval Group’s Rampart multipurpose modular launcher, marking the system’s first publicly observed installation on a French naval vessel. The configuration could expand the class’s close-range defensive options against drones, fast surface threats and other short-range targets.

Images published by WarshipCam (@WarshipCam) on X on September 21, 2026, show the launcher installed on the forward starboard sponson of a Mistral-class amphibious assault ship operating off Toulon during training activities. The sighting provides the first public visual evidence of Rampart integrated aboard a French Navy platform as the system enters its shipboard trial phase.

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A French Navy Mistral-class amphibious assault ship observed off Toulon on September 21, 2026, with what appears to be Naval Group’s Rampart multipurpose modular launcher fitted on the forward starboard sponson. Inset: Rampart launcher prototype. (Picture source: Main: @WarshipCam / Rampart: Army Recognition)

The installation is part of Rampart’s sea-trial phase and matches the development schedule previously outlined for the system. In June 2026, Mer et Marine reported that the first deployment aboard a French Navy vessel was planned for the autumn, with a Mistral-class Porte-Hélicoptères Amphibie, or PHA, expected to take part in trials of the complete system during the Wildfire counter-drone exercise scheduled for October. Naval Group had also indicated, following a new land-based firing campaign at Canjuers, that sea trials would be the next stage of the programme.

The position of the launcher visible in the images released by WarshipCam is consistent with earlier integration studies. These envisaged fitting two Rampart launchers to a Mistral-class PHA, one forward on the starboard side and another aft on the port side. These locations correspond to positions used by the ship’s SIMBAD very-short-range air-defence systems. The launcher now visible near the bow therefore closely matches the configuration previously studied by Naval Group for the class.

Initially presented as the Lanceur Modulaire Polyvalent, or LMP, the system has since been renamed Rampart. Its architecture differs from that of a conventional close-in defence launcher. Rather than being tied to a single missile or ammunition type, Rampart uses four interchangeable ammunition modules that can accommodate different effectors according to the mission and threat environment. Naval Group describes Rampart as a launcher capable of traversing in azimuth and elevation, with fire-control computing functions and the ability to operate autonomously or as part of the host ship’s combat management system. The ammunition payload is approximately 1,000 kg, while each module measures around two metres in length and 60 centimetres in width. Naval Group associates the initial configuration with a close-defence engagement envelope of about 8 km, although actual range depends on the effector used.

The modular architecture allows the launcher to accommodate missiles, guided and unguided rockets, remotely operated munitions, decoys and potentially other weapon types. The modules are intended to be replaceable so that the ammunition mix can be adapted to the expected threat, including during a deployment. The most mature effector currently associated with the programme is the Thales 68 mm rocket, which has already been used in several firing campaigns with the demonstrator. In its laser-guided version, it can engage targets at approximately 5 km and can be used against both small surface craft and aerial drones.

In the latest known configuration, each Rampart module can carry 20 68 mm rockets, providing up to 80 ready-to-fire rockets when all four modules are loaded with the same ammunition. A configuration using 70 mm rockets is also under consideration, with 12 rounds per module and a theoretical maximum load of 48 rockets. Rampart has also progressed beyond static testing. During a campaign at Canjuers in 2026, Naval Group fired guided and unguided 68 mm rockets while connecting the launcher to its close-range combat management architecture. One scenario involved an engagement against a target at approximately 3.5 km, with laser designation provided by a Rafale fighter. Another firing used designation from a ground operator positioned closer to the target, while a separate sequence demonstrated a five-rocket salvo.

According to Naval Group, integration with its Poste de Gestion de Lutte en Champ Proche close-range combat management system is intended to support the full engagement sequence, from threat detection and automatic tracking to weapon release. The range of potential ammunition has also expanded. Naval Group is working with Thales on several rocket types as well as the Lightweight Multirole Missile, while other studies have involved ammunition developed by KNDS. Work has also examined possible integration of missiles from MBDA’s Mistral and Akeron families. In June 2026, Naval Group and the UAE-based EDGE Group, through HALCON, signed an agreement to study integration of the SkyKnight surface-to-air missile with Rampart. SkyKnight has a stated range of up to 10 km and is designed to engage several categories of aerial threats, including helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, drones, cruise missiles and rockets.

Several days later, Naval Group, MESKO and TELESYSTEM also signed an agreement covering future demonstrations of Poland’s Piorun surface-to-air missile from Rampart. These weapons should be regarded as potential integration candidates rather than already qualified or operational Rampart armament. The Mistral class provides a large platform for these trials. The three French ships, Mistral, Tonnerre and Dixmude, are approximately 199 metres long and 32 metres wide, with a full-load displacement of around 21,500 tonnes. Their maximum speed is about 19 knots.

The French Navy lists a core crew of around 177 sailors, with between 400 and 900 troops able to embark depending on mission configuration. The 2,650 m² vehicle hangar can accommodate about 60 armoured vehicles or up to 13 main battle tanks, while the aviation facilities can support up to 16 helicopters. The ships also provide command facilities and an onboard hospital with 69 beds and two operating theatres. Despite their size and operational role, Mistral-class ships have a relatively limited organic self-defence armament. The French Navy lists two remotely operated 20 mm guns, four 12.7 mm machine guns and two SIMBAD very-short-range surface-to-air missile systems.

Fitting Rampart would not give the PHA an area-air-defence capability or replace protection provided by escorting frigates. It could, however, increase the number of ready effectors available for close-range defence and provide additional options against aerial drones, unmanned surface vessels, fast attack craft and other short-range threats. Magazine depth has become an important consideration in naval counter-drone operations. Using conventional surface-to-air missiles against relatively low-cost drones can create both cost and ammunition-management constraints. A launcher carrying several dozen smaller guided rockets provides an additional engagement option while allowing higher-end interceptors to be retained for more demanding threats.

Rampart also differs in configuration from several close-defence systems currently used by other navies. The US Navy, for example, operates SeaRAM, which combines Phalanx-derived sensors with an 11-round RIM-116 RAM launcher in a single autonomous mount intended mainly for defence against anti-ship missiles and aerial threats. The Israeli Navy operates C-Dome aboard its Sa’ar 6 corvettes. Each launcher can carry 10 interceptors, and the system has already been used operationally against drones and other aerial targets. Other approaches rely on guided naval gun ammunition, including Leonardo’s 76/62 Strales system and DART projectile, which can engage manoeuvring aerial threats at ranges of about 8 km while retaining a capability against fast surface craft. The Royal Navy uses Sea Ceptor, based on the CAMM missile, for ship self-defence and local-area air defence, with a stated range of up to 25 km.

Rampart’s main distinguishing feature is therefore its architecture as a single mount with four interchangeable modules designed from the outset to employ different categories of effectors, including guided and unguided rockets, missiles, decoys, grenades and remotely operated munitions. SeaRAM, C-Dome and Sea Ceptor are primarily associated with specific interceptor families, whereas Rampart is intended to allow the ship’s close-defence ammunition mix to be changed according to the threat, with modules designed to be replaced at sea.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Erwan Halna du Fretay holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience studying conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests include security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.