Thales Doubles 70mm Laser-Guided Rocket Output: Middle East Demand and Counter-Drone Need
According to Breaking Defense and Shephard, the increase in Thales’s 70mm laser-guided rocket (FZ275 LGR) output stems from both Middle East demand and the need for counter-drone use. The company is investing about €20 million in the Herstal facility, with part of the investment supported by the European Union’s defence-production acceleration fund (ASAP).
At a Glance
- Who: Thales (Belgium / France)
- What: More than doubling FZ275 70mm laser-guided rocket output
- Capacity: ~10,000 units/year for 2026
- Where: Herstal, Belgium (fivefold expansion)
- Investment: ~€20 million (partly EU ASAP-backed)
- Demand: Middle East + counter-drone defence
Background: What Is a 70mm Laser-Guided Rocket?
The FZ275 is a solution that adds laser guidance to conventional unguided 70mm rockets. Weapons in this class, fired from helicopters, aircraft and ground platforms, deliver both low cost and precision. The recent proliferation of unmanned aircraft has made such low-cost guided rockets an economical alternative to expensive air-defence missiles.
The Details: Production and Demand
According to Defense Express and Militarnyi, interest in the FZ275 is not limited to the Middle East. In Ukraine it is also being evaluated as an economical counter to Russia’s Shahed-type attack drones. A cost of roughly $10,000 per rocket offers a significant cost advantage over million-dollar air-defence missiles. Belgian F-16s are testing the FZ275 for counter-UAS (C-UAS) use.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Product | FZ275 LGR — 70mm laser-guided rocket |
| Capacity | ~10,000 units/year (2026) |
| Facility | Herstal, Belgium (fivefold expansion) |
| Investment | ~€20 million (partly EU ASAP) |
| Unit cost | ~$10,000 per rocket |
| Use | Air-to-ground strike + counter-drone defence |
An Economical Counter: Counter-Drone Rockets
The spread of unmanned aircraft has created a new equation in defence economics: shooting down a cheap attack drone with a million-dollar missile is not sustainable. Laser-guided 70mm rockets stand out as a cost-effective middle tier in that equation. Thales’s capacity increase is read as the industrial reflection of that trend.
Why It Matters for Turkey
The 70mm laser-guided rocket is a field in which Turkiye also positioned itself early. Roketsan’s CIRIT, in the same class, has been in both the Turkish Armed Forces inventory and export markets for years. In that sense Thales’s FZ275 move means direct competition in the very same market segment as Roketsan’s CIRIT.
As low-cost, precision guided rockets gain importance against unmanned aircraft, the value of Turkiye’s accumulated experience in this field grows. In air-defence and counter-drone concepts, indigenous guided-rocket solutions have the potential both to meet domestic needs and to take a share of rising global demand.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the FZ275? Thales’s laser-guided rocket that adds laser guidance to 70mm unguided rockets.
Why is production rising? Middle East demand and the need for an economical counter to unmanned aircraft.
What is its Turkish counterpart? Roketsan’s CIRIT, in the same 70mm laser-guided rocket class.
Bottom Line
Thales multiplying FZ275 production shows the rising importance of laser-guided 70mm rockets in both classic air-to-ground missions and counter-drone concepts. The segment is also a growing arena of competition and export for Turkiye, which positioned itself early with the Roketsan CIRIT.
