French Air Force successfully test fired BAT-120 GL laser-guided munition


In June 2018, a BAT-120 GL laser-guided lightweight munition prototype equipped with its guidance system was successfully fired for the first time from a French Air Force Mirage 2000D at the French defence ministry's Biscarrosse test range in Western France, Thales announced on July 30, 2018.


French Air Force successfully test fired BAT 120 GL laser guided munition 001 A Thales BAT-120 GL prototype fired from a French Air Force Mirage 200D fighter jet
(Credit: DGA)


The firing was the first opportunity to test the BAT-120 GL prototype guided by a trajectory correction system derived from the laser-guided rocket developed by Thales. The munition was launched from the aircraft and corrected its trajectory in flight as anticipated in the test protocol.

The BAT-120 GL is a lightweight (35 kg) munition that would provide forces with a highly effective precision-guided weapon ideally suited to modern conflict situations, particularly in urban environments. The key operational requirement is to reduce to a zero level the risk of collateral damage while increasing the weapon carriage capacity of combat aircraft This concept allows to take a larger number of ammunition than today with bombs from 250kg to 1000kg.

Testing of the BAT-120 GL prototype will continue shortly with a guided firing of a metric-precision munition.