Naval Group’s new Rampart launcher was spotted this week aboard a French Navy Mistral-class LHD sailing out of Toulon naval base. The system is likely slated for its maiden at-sea firing campaign, as previously reported by Naval News.
Pictures taken by Toulon-based photographer and regular contributor to Naval News, Hervé Dermoune, show the Rampart fitted aboard one of the three Mistral-class LHDs of the French Navy.
Rampart, previously known as “Multi-purpose and Modular Launching System” (or MPLS), is a multi-ammunition and flexible RAM-like close-in weapon system (CIWS) currently under development by Naval Group for both the French Navy (Marine Nationale) and the export market.
The Rampart turret launcher is outfitted with four launch modules, enabling a versatile mix of weapons and decoys tailored to specific threats and missions. 20x 68mm laser-guided rockets (by Thales, 68mm being a French military standard) fit in a single module, meaning a Rampart launcher may accommodate up to 80x rockets. In the case of 70mm rockets (which is the NATO standard), 12x rockets can fit in a single module (for a total of 48 rockets). Regarding very short range / MANPAD style missiles, 4 to 6 ammunition may fit in a module (depending on the missile type).
As previously reported by Naval News during Eurosatory, the first at-sea firing campaign is set to take place in October aboard a Mistral-class LHD during the French Navy counter drone exercise WildFire. What we are seeing in the picture is likely the preparation for this campaign and exercise.
Naval News understands the test will likely involve the guided rockets by Thales France. It could also involve Piorun missiles from Poland, following an agreement inked during Eurosatory. As previously reported, the Rampart launcher will then head to Belgium for the initial firing of 70mm rockets by Thales Belgium.
Naval News comments: WildFire exercises
The Wildfire exercise series is a major tactical training program organized by the French Navy dedicated entirely to counter-drone warfare (C-UAS) and multi-domain asymmetric defense.
Key aspects of the Wildfire exercise series include:
- Core Objective: Launched in response to the growing prevalence of drone warfare in modern conflicts, Wildfire trains naval crews to detect, identify, and neutralize complex, high-intensity threats. This includes defending against saturation attacks and swarms of aerial drones, surface drones, and underwater threats.
- Realistic Simulation: Conducted heavily off the coast of Toulon (as well as Atlantic training phases out of Brest) and utilizing the DGA’s missile/test range at Île du Levant, the exercises simulate high-stress combat scenarios using dozens of remote-controlled targets (such as Banshee and Snipe aerial targets and target surface drones).
- Industrial and Technological Testing: Beyond crew training, Wildfire serves as an agile testbed (integrated into the French Navy’s Perseus approach) for new defense technologies. It allows the French Armaments Directorate General (DGA) and defense contractors to evaluate experimental systems—ranging from innovative radars, jammers, and acoustic sensors to new close-in weapon systems (CIWS) like Naval Group’s Rampart launcher—in real operational environments.
- Multidomain & Allied Integration: The exercises have scaled up significantly since their inception, drawing in multiple frigates, amphibious helicopter carriers (LHDs), naval helicopters, and integration with the French Army and French Air and Space Force. Recent iterations have also opened up to NATO allies and foreign partners (such as the Royal Navy) to boost interoperability against shared modern maritime threats.
