France approves Rafale to use 68mm rockets against drones

France approves Rafale to use 68mm rockets against drones

France approves Rafale to use 68mm rockets against drones

France has approved the Rafale for use of its 68mm laser-guided rocket in the Counter-UAS role following trials that began in February 2026.

France approved the use of 68mm laser-guided rockets and TALIOS targeting pods on the Rafale on July 7, 2026, against low-cost one-way attack (OWA) drones after a lengthy test campaign. This milestone was mentioned in a report citing the Directorate General of Armaments (Direction Générale de l’Armement – ​​​​DGA) on 13 July.

The tests, which have been ongoing since February 2026, involve the DGA’s Flight Test Center in Cazaux, the French Aerospace Force’s (FASF) Center of Expertise for Military Aviation (CEAM), Dassault and Thales, manufacturer of the 12-gun JF12 pod that launches the Aculeus LG laser-guided rocket. In April 2026, a French Navy (Marine Corps) Rafale M was photographed equipped with at least one JF12/TELSON 12 rocket pod, possibly at Istres-Le Tubé air base (Base Aérienne 125).

The testing follows a June 2025 report that quoted DGA officials stressing the need to use rockets in a counter-UAS role to avoid “using high-value assets.” A year later, DGA Director Patrick Pailloux told Congress about ongoing C-UAS rocket testing at Rafales, with the goal of having the rocket operational by this summer.

According to sea ​​and navyThe system developed for the Rafale, called Anti-Drone Warfare on Combat Aircraft (Lutte anti-drone sur avion de Combat – LADAC), has reached initial operational capability (IOC). A larger order for Thales will soon follow, with deliveries scheduled to begin in July 2026, but details such as costs are not yet known.

Urgent requirements, rapid testing and fielding

To address urgent “operational emergencies” and field “effective and cost-effective counter-drone weapons” as quickly as possible, the DGA has narrowed its selection to Thales and the 68mm LGR for late 2025. This is because this weapon was already integrated and available for use on the French Tiger attack helicopter. This was after the United States and Israel’s experience fighting Iran and the Houthis, and the Americans quickly adopted the F-15E, F-16, and A-10 armed with the APKWS II.

Days before the Rafale M was spotted over Istres with rocket pods, an official video showed FASF Rafales engaging OWA drones over Iraq with MICA IR short-range air-to-air missiles. While the price of a missile is around $1 million to $2 million, the price of an Iranian drone is less than $50,000.

Each Aculeus LG rocket costs between $25,000 and $40,000, roughly the same range as Iran’s Shahed-type OWA. This will make the economics of C-UAS missions more balanced.

Tests by DGA and FASF demonstrated the full chain of engaging loitering munitions using larger fighter aircraft. The tests included detection, tracking and laser designation of the drone by the radar Rafale’s RBE2 AESA radar, evaluation of the impact of the rocket pod on the airframe and flight characteristics, and finally launch of the rocket in air-to-air mode. The report did not say how many flyovers and targeted drone engagements occurred.

Testing took place at the DGA missile test site in Bicarosse and DGA Aerospace Techniques in Balma, with EOS Technologies providing many of the targeting drones. Balma’s employees evaluated whether the pods would function in environments with high electromagnetic interference. DGA Land Techniques in Bourges and DGA Engineering and Projects in Paris verified the overall performance of the LADAC system.

In October 2025, General Jérôme Bellanger of the FASF spoke at a congressional hearing about the need to approve the Mirage 2000D RMV, or rocket-equipped Rafale, for the C-UAS role. Opex360 It has been reported. “With regard to airborne anti-drone operations, it is not sustainable to use MICA air-to-air missiles worth over a million euros to shoot down drones worth a few thousand dollars (…) There is an off-the-shelf solution, laser rockets, which could very well be installed on Mirage 2000s or Rafales,” Bellanger said.

That’s because, at the height of Operation Epic Fury against Iran, French Rafales operating from Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE “depleted” their MICA missile inventory “too quickly.” tribune It was reported on March 15, 2026, citing unidentified French military and diplomats.

Rafale partners with EW drones.

Dassault Aviation also announced on July 13, 2026 that “a simulated cooperative engagement flight between a Rafale F4 and a drone carrying a NAMIB payload has been completed.” NAMIB is a new electronic warfare product jointly developed by Dassault and Harmattan AI.

The test flight demonstrated at NAMIB that leveraging the F4’s organic networking, data connectivity and sensor fusion capabilities “with a variety of actors, including ground forces,” it could carefully and accurately locate the radar’s location tens of kilometers away. “These positions were transmitted to the Rafale fighter jets, which then simulated the launch path to the target,” the press release said.

NAMIB is an electronic warfare payload capable of detecting, identifying and locating electromagnetic emissions, especially those from air defense systems. It can be deployed on tactical drones, such as quadcopters, or fixed-wing drones with longer endurance.

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