In recent months, in the thread of the strategic partnership CaMo [Capacité Motorisée]Paris and Brussels have strengthened their cooperation in the field of armaments, which has resulted in the inauguration of an assembly line for multi-role armoured vehicles [VBMR] Griffon in Staden [Belgique]the recreation of a French small-calibre ammunition sector with the support of Belgian industry [FN Herstal, en l’occurrence] and the revival of Arquus by John Cockerill, completed on July 2.
To this list, we must also add the investment plan of more than 20 million euros launched by Thales in 2023 in order to significantly increase its production of 70 mm rockets in Belgium. And this with the support of the Belgian government and that of the European Commission, via the ASAP initiative. [Act in Support of Ammunition Production / Acte de soutien à la production de munitions].
Thus, on July 1, Thales Belgium inaugurated a new production line for 70 mm rockets at its Herstal site. [ex-Forges de Zeebrugge]. “The goal is to be able to respond more quickly to the ammunition needs of the armed forces. The 70 mm rocket is the caliber that meets the standards [de l’] NATO and [elle] is currently being used in theaters of operations in Ukraine,” the industrialist explained.
And he added: “Thales Belgium has responded to the needs expressed by the European armed forces by putting in place in less than a year the conditions for accelerating the production rates of 70mm rockets, of which it is the only producer in Europe.”
Concretely, with this new assembly line, the production capacity will increase from 1000 to 5000 guided rockets per month by 2025. This assumes the recruitment of 50 additional employees… But not only that, because to produce, it is still necessary to have sufficient raw materials. Also, Thales explains that it has “intensified the resilience of its production” by strengthening its sources of supply [« supply-chain »].
“The rockets developed by Thales in Belgium offer a high level of interoperability with integration on multiple airborne, land, naval, conventional or robotic platforms. Resistant to jamming, their use is also extended to the fields of anti-drone combat and ground-to-ground strikes,” the group also emphasizes.
Although this is not specified in the press release issued by Thales, it is most likely the FZ275 LGR semi-active laser-guided rocket, with a maximum range of 7 km and metric precision.
