French defense electronics group Thales and South Korea’s Hanwha have signed an integration agreement to pair Hanwha’s Chunmoo rockets with Thales’ X-Fire launcher system. The companies announced the deal at the Theatrum Belli defense 2026 conference, a key French forum for strategic and industrial defense discussions.
The agreement formalizes a partnership aimed at combining the Chunmoo missile family with the X-Fire launcher architecture, positioning the package as a long-range strike option for European militaries and export customers.
X-Fire and Chunmoo: a combined long-range strike package
Chunmoo is Hanwha’s multiple rocket launch system, designed to hit targets deep behind the front line from ground-based platforms. X-Fire is Thales’ launcher solution developed to meet European armies’ demand for long-range fires.
Under the agreement, the two companies plan to integrate the systems into a single offering intended to deliver both saturation effects and improved precision against distant targets.
The timing reflects a surge in demand for multiple rocket systems on the export market since the return of high-intensity war in Europe. Canada recently confirmed an order for 26 U.S.-made HIMARS launchers for $1.9 billion, highlighting Western militaries’ growing appetite for long-range strike capabilities.
A bid for European export competitions—and beyond
The industrial logic is straightforward: match a proven South Korean missile with a launcher architecture developed by a European prime contractor, creating an alternative to U.S. systems in NATO tenders and other export competitions.
Hanwha has emerged in recent years as one of Asia’s most dynamic arms exporters. Chunmoo already equips several militaries, and the Korean firm is seeking to accelerate its push into Europe—particularly in the Baltic states and Poland—where long-range artillery requirements have been sharply revised upward since 2022.
Deep-strike capability rises on Europe’s priority list
For Thales, the deal fits a broader effort to build a stronger position in ground-based strike systems, an area where the French group has been less prominent than in radar, optronics, or electronic warfare. Tying X-Fire to a missile with an existing operational track record could speed the rollout of a competitive offering.
At the time of the announcement, the companies did not disclose a development timeline or identify the first customers they are targeting.
