Thales opens maintenance site in Japan

The French defense group Thales will open a maintenance and support site in Japan for military equipment, described as the first of its kind operated by a foreign defense industry. This site will initially focus on inspecting and diagnosing malfunctions on equipment from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, with plans to expand to materials from land forces and air defense units.

Thales and JSW partner on local production

At the same time, Thales’s partner Japan Steel Works (JSW) will launch local production of the 120 mm recoilless mounted mortar that equips the French Griffon. The 2R2M, the industrial core of the Thales agreement, transfers its technology to JSW, which will produce the 120 mm recoilless mounted mortar in Japan starting in 2027.

Long-term contract with JSW

The contractual framework has existed for two years: according to the annual report of JSW submitted in June 2025, the contract took effect on September 11, 2024, for 15 years, and covers the supply of technical expertise as well as exclusive rights to manufacture and sell in Japan. Howa would manufacture the tubes.

Strategic choice of partners

The choice of partners is no accident because Howa already produces under license the 120 mm recoilless towed mortar, adopted by the Japanese army from the fiscal year 1992 to replace the 107 mm mortar. JSW, on the other hand, is the historical artillery of the country: it also assembles under license the Finnish Patria AMV XP armored vehicle since the agreement of August 31, 2023, and has just completed in Hiroshima a new assembly building to increase its production of artillery parts.

Details of the 120 mm mortar system

The 2R2M (Rifled Recoiled Mounted Mortar) arms the "120 mm Mobile Mortar Type 24." It is a variant of the common wheeled tactical vehicle family, built on the 8×8 chassis of the Type 16, with a semi-automatic loading mortar and computerized firing control located in the rear compartment. The vehicle is 8.1 meters long, 3.0 meters wide, and 2.7 meters high, with a crew of five people.

Mortar capabilities and deployment

In terms of weapon, the mortar is mounted on a 360° rotating platform, with an elevation range of 40 to 85 degrees, and relies on a firing system, automatic aiming, and an inertial guidance system. It weighs approximately 1,500 kg, fires 8.1 km with standard ammunition and around 13 km with additional propulsion ammunition, at a rate of ten rounds per minute.

Thales's global sales and Japanese procurement

Thales claims to have sold more than 150 systems in six countries. France has acquired it for the Griffon MEPAC, with 54 systems in series. These shells are produced under license in Japan by Daikin and Komatsu. Purchases began in the fiscal year 2024, with eight vehicles for 8 billion yen.

Future deployment of the Type 24

Eight more were requested for 2025 (8.3 billion yen) and eight more in the 2026 budget plan (9.5 billion yen). The vehicle was shown to the public during the Fuji Firepower 2025 exercise. The Type 24 must equip the mortar units of the rapid reaction regiments, then the divisions and brigades, and replace the tracked Type 96 of the 7th division.