--- title: "France’s Modular Rampart Point Defense Launcher Has Gone To Sea" description: "The launcher that can fire laser-guided rockets, small missiles. and more has emerged on a Mistral class amphibious assault ship." date: "2026-09-22" modified: "2026-09-22" authors: - name: "Thomas Newdick" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick.md" url: "https://www.twz.com/sea/frances-modular-rampart-point-defense-launcher-has-gone-to-sea" categories: - "French Navy" - "Land" - "Navies" - "Sea" - "Short-Range Air Defense Systems (SHORADS)" --- # France’s Modular Rampart Point Defense Launcher Has Gone To Sea ![A French Navy Mistral class amphibious assault ship has been photographed carrying Naval Group’s new Rampart modular launcher, a system designed to allow a single weapon station to employ different types of rockets, missiles, and other effectors against a wide range of threats.]() *Naval Group screenshot* A French Navy *Mistral* class [amphibious assault ship]() has been photographed carrying Naval Group’s new Rampart modular launcher, a system designed to allow a single weapon station to employ different types of rockets, missiles, and other effectors against a wide range of threats. The imagery, captured off Toulon during training on September 21, reveals the launcher installed [on the ship’s forward starboard sponson](). While the specific identity of the vessel is unclear, this represents the first publicly observed evidence that Rampart has moved into shipboard testing. https://twitter.com/PEtienne/status/2102280563646234779?s=20 https://twitter.com/GGYSSELSSHIPS/status/2102422690988769513?s=20 Naval Group [announced in June]() that the first at-sea firing campaign for Rampart was planned for October aboard a *Mistral* class ship during the French Navy’s Wildfire counter-drone exercise. What makes Rampart unusual is its modular architecture. Rather than being built around one missile or rocket, the system uses interchangeable launch modules that can accommodate different weapons. This allows a ship to carry large numbers of relatively inexpensive [guided rockets]() for counter-drone work while retaining the option of using larger and more capable short-range missiles against more challenging targets. ![Système de lancement polyvalent et modulaire, sur le stand de NAVAL GROUP lors du Salon de l'industrie naval de défense (EURONAVAL) à Villepinte le 6 novembre 2024. (Photo by Thierry NECTOUX/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)]() *The Rampart, then still known as the Multi-purpose and Modular Launching System (MPLS), displayed at the EURONAVAL defense exhibition in November 2024. *Photo by Thierry NECTOUX/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images** Because the launch modules are interchangeable, the mix can theoretically be changed as the mission or threat environment changes. The approach is aimed squarely at a problem that has become increasingly important for naval forces: defending expensive ships against potentially large numbers of inexpensive uncrewed systems and missiles without relying exclusively on high-cost interceptors. Rampart was previously known as the Multi-purpose and Modular Launching System (MPLS). Naval Group unveiled the concept in 2023 as a self-funded development effort and formally presented the Rampart earlier this year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BQ4DpiWbEM The launcher uses four interchangeable ammunition modules. Depending on the configuration, Naval Group says that the system can accommodate up to 80 Thales [68mm laser-guided rockets]() or 48 NATO-standard [70mm laser-guided rockets](). Other configurations can carry smaller numbers of short-range missiles (four to six per module, depending on type) or other effectors, including decoys. The system has already been demonstrated with guided rockets. A January 2026 test involved a Thales 68mm guided rocket, followed by a series of firings at the Canjuers range in southern France in May. Those trials, seen in the video below, included engagements against targets at roughly two miles and a five-rocket salvo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGtrM7q5qRM The relatively small guided rockets are particularly relevant to counter-drone operations. They offer a way of engaging aerial targets with a weapon substantially smaller than a conventional surface-to-air missile, while still providing precision guidance. As well as rockets, Naval Group has been working with Thales on the [Lightweight Multirole Missile]() (LMM). Also known as Martlet, the LMM is intended to tackle a range of challenging airborne and surface targets, as you can read about [here](). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDjvc2r02V4 The company has also explored integration of loitering munitions and other missiles, while a [separate agreement]() with the UAE-based EDGE Group covers trials of the [SkyKnight]() surface-to-air missile. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRLk7Hf2bsc The company has also [pursued integration]() of Poland’s [Piorun]() short-range air-defense missile. This may well be with a view to a potential Polish purchase of Rampart to arm its forthcoming frigates, which you can read about [here](). ![Polish Army soldiers, fire a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS Piorun), during the exercise Shield 24, April 12, 2024 in Pula, Croatia. This annual event bolsters Croatian air defense capabilities against low and medium-altitude threats. Joined by the 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment (C/1-57 ADAR), 173rd Airborne Brigade, and allied forces from the Polish Armed Forces, Slovenian Army, and French Armed Forces, participants jointly train on air defense tactics, techniques, and procedures, including air-space control and live fire engagements. (U.S. Army photo by Davide Dalla Massara)]() *Polish Army soldiers fire a Piorun man-portable air defense system. *U.S. Army photo by Davide Dalla Massara** This means the launcher is effectively being developed as an open weapons-integration platform, rather than as a dedicated launcher for one or a small set of particular munitions. That openness could make Rampart attractive to a wide range of navies. Instead of requiring customers to adopt a completely new missile family, the launcher can potentially be configured around weapons already in their inventories or sourced from their domestic defense industries. A country could therefore buy the common Rampart launcher while retaining control over the effectors it wants to integrate, whether those are guided rockets, short-range missiles, loitering munitions or other systems. At the same time, when it comes to air threats, this is very much a point defense system for close-in engagements, and a last line of defense to complement longer-range and more capable systems. Naval Group has described the system as capable of operating either autonomously or as part of a ship’s combat system, with a stabilized turret and integrated fire-control equipment. That integration will be particularly important during the upcoming sea trials. A launcher that works against stationary or land-based targets still has to contend with ship motion, vibration, sea spray, sensor integration, and the compressed timelines involved in defending a moving vessel. France operates three *Mistral* class amphibious assault ships, which serve as major aviation, command, and amphibious warfare platforms. Their size and mission make them high-value assets that could face a broad range of aerial threats during operations. Another two vessels were built to the same design for Russia, [before being placed under embargo](), and then sold to the Egyptian Navy. ![200624-M-IR130-1284 MEDITERRANEAN SEA (June 24, 2020) The French Navy amphibious assault ship Mistral sails in the vicinity of the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) June 24, 2020. The Bataan is conducting operations in U.S. 6th Fleet in support of regional allies and partners, and U.S. national security interest in Europe and Africa. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Gary Jayne III/Released)]() *The French Navy amphibious assault ship *Mistral*. *U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Gary Jayne III/Released** Naval Group’s choice of a *Mistral* for the initial at-sea campaign provides an opportunity to test Rampart under realistic operational conditions while integrating it with an existing French naval combat system. In its basic form, each *Mistral* is armed with a pair of Simbad launchers, each of which is fitted with two Mistral short-range surface-to-air missiles. In terms of guns, each of the vessels is armed with two 30mm and two 20mm cannons, two 7.62mm M134 Miniguns, and four 12.7mm machine guns. Adding even a single Rampart launcher provides considerably more options against aerial targets across a wide range of threats — depending on the effectors that are included. ![]() *Loading guided rockets into a Rampart launcher during ground-based tests. *Naval Group screencap** Recent U.S. and allied operations [in the Middle East]() have highlighted the problem of large-scale missile and drone attacks causing forces to expend [substantial numbers of interceptors](), raising concerns about both magazine depth and [the cost of using high-end missiles]() against lower-cost threats. Directed-energy weapons could eventually provide a way out of that [cost-exchange problem](), but [shipboard laser systems remain]() in the [early stages of operational development](). Navies cannot simply wait for them to mature, creating an immediate requirement for lower-cost, high-capacity kinetic options. Rampart’s large guided-rocket capacity and ability to mix different effectors are aimed at exactly that gap. If Rampart can reliably engage drones with inexpensive guided rockets while retaining the ability to employ more capable missiles from the same launcher, it could offer navies an additional defensive layer between conventional guns and high-end surface-to-air missile systems. Critically, new effectors could potentially also be integrated as they become available, allowing the system to evolve without replacing the entire turret. Reflecting the urgency of the requirement, Naval Group’s development path for Rampart has been relatively rapid. Naval Group has also demonstrated a ground-based Rampart, mounted on a high-mobility truck chassis. This configuration is intended for mobile air defense missions as well as protection of fixed sites, giving the system a role beyond ship self-defense. The truck-mounted version could provide a rapidly relocatable launcher for counter-drone and short-range air-defense missions, while retaining the same basic modular architecture and ability to employ different effectors. https://twitter.com/VincentLamigeon/status/2066769216741540264 The photographs from Toulon indicate that the Rampart concept is now moving from the range to the French fleet, albeit on an experimental basis. The forthcoming sea campaign will be an important milestone and should provide a better idea of how this system works at sea. *Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com* ## Author Thomas Newdick is a staff writer at *TWZ*, where he covers military aviation, defense technology, weapons systems, and international security. Based in Berlin, Germany, he reports on conflicts, military modernization efforts, and emerging aerospace technologies around the world, with a particular interest in airpower and its role in contemporary warfare. His reporting is informed by deep expertise in modern and historical airpower, particularly in Europe, with a focus on military aviation, air campaigns, and aerospace developments across the continent and beyond. Over a journalism career spanning more than 25 years, Thomas has become known for making complex defense and aerospace topics accessible to a broad audience. His reporting combines technical expertise, historical context, and a focus on the real-world operational and strategic implications of military developments. ### Author social links [Twitter]()