France receives CILAS ground laser target designators
French soldiers operate the DHY 208 system. (Photo: Sylvain Barthélémy)
France acquires laser target designators under the Taranis programme to equip conventional and special forces.
The Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) in the French MoD on 4 February announced the delivery of 110 CILAS ground laser target designators, as part of an initiative to improve the equipment available to dismounted troops.
The systems were acquired under the Taranis programme that aims to equip conventional and special forces with the latest equipment.
DGA awarded two contracts to CILAS in 2016 and 2017, covering the procurement of around 200 short-range units (DHY 208) and 50 long-range (DHY 308) systems to be delivered by 2025.
The qualification of the long-range model is scheduled for 2022 and should allow the first 30 systems already ordered to go into production for delivery in 2023.
The DGA placed a separate order for 25 DHY 208 ground laser target designators in December 2021.
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