Safran Electronics & Defense has announced a EUR 120m investment to expand and modernize its Montluçon facility. The move aims to triple the production of its Hemispherical Resonator Gyros (HRG), with capacity set to rise from 10,000 to 30,000 units per year by 2032.

As a reminder, HRGs are high-precision inertial sensors used to measure the rotational movements of a vehicle or system. They are deployed across a wide range of applications, from drones and munitions to aircraft, ships, submarines, satellites, and space launchers.

The project includes the addition of 10,500 sqm of floor space, including 3,000 sqm of cleanrooms equipped with new industrial machinery. The expansion will be carried out in two phases: 2,500 sqm starting in 2027, followed by an additional 8,000 sqm by 2030.

To support this ramp-up, the group plans to create 500 jobs by 2030 at the site, which already employs more than 1,640 people.

The group highlighted accelerating demand for these resilient navigation technologies, which are capable of operating without GPS signals.

Safran shares were trading down approximately 2.3% shortly after 11:00 a.m. in Paris.