Thales’ Induction Laser Guided Rocket selected by French ministry of Defence

This three phase contract includes industrialization, qualification and the serial production of a first batch, for the French Forces. TDA, acting as design Authority of the Induction Rocket System TELSON, will launch on the market a very high performance laser guided rocket, thanks to 5 years of research and development, supported by the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA). ACULEUS-LG meets the expectations of the French Forces rising since 2009 with the asymmetric engagements in Afghanistan.

The last generation TELSON system brings to the ACULEUS ammunition family, all the advantages of the induction system: loading speed, maintenance free, high reliability, no misfire, no hang fire, no Foreign Object Damage. Furthermore, ACULEUS LG,  mission information , -such as the laser code, the behavior of the platform and the behavior of the target- is supplied by induction to the rocket just before its separation from the launcher. This information initiates the guidance algorithms which, associated with the ultrasensitive Semi Actif Laser, designed by the optronic teams of Thales in Elancourt, enables the ACULEUS LG to achieve sub-metric accuracy in  the whole firing domain. This reliable sub-metric precision added with the military effect of low collateral damage warhead make this solution operationally much more efficient than a guidance kit adapted onto a “non communicating” rocket system like those proposed on the market today.

The laser guided rocket will be added to the current family of ammunitions ACULEUS which already contains a training/marking rocket, a sub projectile rocket and a highly explosive dual mode rocket Impact-Airburst. These capabilities may one day expand with tactical target marking, anti-UAV or infrared illumination.