Lockheed Martin Offers HIMARS System to France With 18-Month Delivery Timeline

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. The offer was made in consultation with Washington and is based on internal investments from the contractor that would speed up the procurement process.

The proposal 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.

France has allocated approximately €600 million to replace its aging fleet of LRU multiple-launch rocket systems, which are set to be retired as early as 2027. The French media publication Challenges was the first to report Lockheed was talking to Paris about the FLP-T program.

The French Ministry of Defense stated that the U.S. government responded in early 2026 to France's request for pricing and delivery schedules regarding the acquisition of HIMARS. The exact size and cost of the offer are unknown, and it is unclear whether this agreement would allow France to skip the queue ahead of existing HIMARS customers.

Martin is not the only party interested in securing this contract. France has evaluated and compared two French solutions through an innovative partnership that pitted two temporary consortia against each other. At the same time, it has also been assessing various off-the-shelf solutions, the ministry said in an email statement.