Safran Electronics & Defense Expands Montluçon Facility to Scale Production of High-Precision Inertial Navigation Sensors

Safran Electronics & Defense Expands Montluçon Facility to Scale Production of High-Precision Inertial Navigation Sensors

(IN BRIEF) Safran Electronics & Defense is investing €120 million to expand and modernize its Montluçon facility in France, with the goal of tripling production capacity for its high-tech hemispherical resonator gyroscopes from 10,000 units annually to 30,000 units by 2032. The project will add 10,500 square meters to the site, including 3,000 square meters of new cleanrooms equipped with advanced industrial machinery, and will be carried out in two phases through 2030. The investment also includes the creation of 500 new jobs by 2030, reinforcing Safran’s role as the leading industrial employer in the Allier region. Developed and industrialized entirely in Montluçon, the HRG gyroscope is a key component of Safran’s inertial navigation systems and supports applications across drones, munitions, armored vehicles, aircraft, helicopters, ships, submarines, satellites and space launchers. Its ability to provide resilient navigation in GPS-denied environments makes it increasingly important for sovereign defense and aerospace needs, particularly as demand rises for advanced navigation technologies used by France, Europe and allied armed forces.

(PRESS RELEASE) MONTLUÇON, 8-Jun-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Safran Electronics & Defense has announced a €120 million investment to expand and modernize its Montluçon industrial site in France, with the aim of significantly increasing production capacity for its hemispherical resonator gyroscope, known as HRG.

The investment programme is designed to triple annual HRG production, raising output from 10,000 units today to 30,000 units by 2032. As part of the expansion, the Montluçon facility will gain an additional 10,500 square meters of industrial space, including 3,000 square meters of new cleanrooms fitted with next-generation production equipment.

The expansion will be implemented in two stages to respond to fast-growing demand for high-precision inertial navigation technologies. The first phase will add 2,500 square meters by 2027, while a second phase will bring a further 8,000 square meters by 2030. Safran Electronics & Defense, already the largest industrial employer in the Allier region with more than 1,640 employees, also plans to create 500 new jobs by 2030 to support the production scale-up.

The HRG gyroscope is fully developed and industrialized in Montluçon and plays a central role in Safran Electronics & Defense’s inertial navigation systems. Designed from the beginning for large-scale manufacturing and built with a highly limited number of components, the sensor is suited for integration into modular system architectures across a wide range of platforms.

The gyroscope supports applications ranging from high-volume systems such as munitions and drones to more advanced military and aerospace platforms, including artillery, armored vehicles, military aircraft, helicopters, ships, submarines, satellites and space launchers. Its key capability is the delivery of absolute and resilient navigation, enabling continued operation in demanding environments where GPS access may be unavailable, disrupted or denied.

Demand for sovereign navigation technologies has grown sharply, including for systems used in the Hammer modular air-to-ground weapon. Safran’s investment in Montluçon is intended to strengthen production resilience, improve delivery capacity and support the needs of armed forces in France, Europe and allied countries.

“At Montluçon, we embody a unique level of technological and industrial excellence in the field of high-precision inertial systems,” said Franck Saudo, President of Safran Electronics & Defense. “The HRG, which is at the heart of our Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) solutions, has redefined the market through its large-scale, industrially focused design. This investment will enable us to further solidify our unique position in the navigation domain, and to fulfill our primary commitment: delivering on time to the armed forces that protect France, Europe, and their allies.”

The Montluçon factory is one of Safran Group’s historic industrial sites. Built in 1934, the facility originally covered 37,000 square meters and has expanded over time to 100,000 square meters today, including 6,000 square meters of cleanrooms. Once the new investment project is completed, the site will cover 110,500 square meters, further reinforcing its role as a major center for high-precision inertial systems and sovereign defense technologies.

Safran is an international high-technology group, operating in the aviation (propulsion, equipment and interiors), defense and space markets. Its core purpose is to contribute to a safer, more sustainable world, where air transport is more environmentally friendly, comfortable and accessible. Safran has a global presence, with more than 110,000 employees and revenue of 31.3 billion euros in 2025, and holds, alone or in partnership, global or regional leadership positions in its core markets. Safran undertakes research and development programs to maintain the environmental priorities of its R&T and Innovation roadmaps. Safran is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange and is part of the CAC 40 and Euro Stoxx 50 indices.

Safran Electronics & Defense is a high-technology industrial company operating in the aerospace, defense, and space sectors. For over 100 years, the company has been designing, developing, and manufacturing equipment and services for both civil and military clients – on land, at sea, in the air and in space. A leader in its markets, Safran Electronics & Defense offers cutting-edge solutions in avionics, critical electronics, optronics, inertial navigation, precise timing, guidance, actuation, flight controls, satellite engines, and artificial intelligence for industry and defense. Our 19,000 employees across five continents are proud to support their customers, States and their armed forces, in strengthening their autonomy and sovereignty, and to contribute to the safety of air transport passengers.

Media Contact:

Lucie Bâton
Safran Electronics & Defense
+33 6 30 27 71 41
lucie.baton@safrangroup.com

SOURCE: Safran