An operational problem emerged before the technical solution. After Rafale fighters of the French contingent at Al Dhafra base (UAE) spent over 80 MICA missiles in a few weeks intercepting Shahed-type drones, disputes erupted within the Ministry of Armed Forces between the general staff, DGA, and MBDA manufacturer — the delivery time for new MICAs is almost two years. Then the problem went beyond accounting: one MICA costs about €700,000, while the target is a slow drone worth a few thousand dollars.
What exactly is being developed
On April 23, 2026, DGA officially announced the launch of a program for an anti-drone variant of a 68-mm laser-guided rocket. The basis is the already existing French Aculeus-LG rocket manufactured by TDA Armements (a Thales subsidiary): length — about 1.4 m, mass — 8.8 kg, maximum range — up to 5 km in semi-active laser guidance mode. The rocket was qualified on the Tiger HAD helicopter back in July 2021 following tests in Biscaros.
The tactical purpose is to cover the "medium zone" between 2.5 km (the limit of effective 30-mm gun operation) and over 10 km (where MICA-class missiles come into play). It is precisely in this corridor that there is currently no cheap and accurate means of engagement.
"We are absolutely obliged to start using missiles for anti-drone missions because we cannot continue to spend air-to-air class missiles on them."
— anonymous DGA representative, quoted by Janes, April 2026
Carriers and technical configuration
- Rafale — TELSON 12 JF launcher pod (12 rockets), standard load — two pods, i.e., 24 rockets per sortie. Laser targeting is provided by the TALIOS targeting pod, which is already on board. On April 16, 2026, Rafale M "Board No. 1" (DGA experimental aircraft) was first photographed with such a pod at Istres air base.
- Tiger HAD — 22-tube launcher for 68-mm ammunition. The helicopter has already confirmed interception of Shahed by gunfire from 30-mm GIAT — rockets will double the engagement range.
According to Army Recognition data, the effectiveness of one sortie increases from 1–3 destroyed targets with unguided rockets to 12–24 with guided ones — that is, a gain of 400–800%. The new Aculeus NG version also received inductive programming before launch, which simplifies maintenance and increases safety.
Context: France is not alone
In parallel, Belgian Air Force has been conducting integration tests of the Thales Belgium FZ275 LGR missile on F-16s since early 2026, and the Royal Air Force of Great Britain in March 2026 tested Typhoon with an LAU-13 launcher and APKWS missiles. The French approach is sovereign: relying on the already existing Aculeus ammunition instead of the American APKWS II, although Paris had previously officially considered this option as well.
DGA Head Patrick Paillé informed the National Assembly that integration on Rafale is already underway and should be ready for operational deployment by summer 2026.
If Rafale with Aculeus-LG achieves operational readiness this summer, France will have an anti-drone system confirmed in combat conditions with a clear cost justification — but the real test will be the first deployment not over the UAE, but in an environment with radio-electronic countermeasures, where laser guidance may prove to be a vulnerable link.
