MBDA team picked for France’s Larinae loitering munition project
MBDA has been selected for France's Larinae loitering munition project. (Photo: MBDA)
The French defence innovation agency (AID) has selected a consortium led by MBDA for its Larinae loitering munition project.
France’s Larinae project seeks to rapidly develop a loitering munition capable of striking a hardened target at a range of 50km.
Under Larinae, a team consisting of Nexter, EOS Technologie and TRAAK has also been awarded a contract to develop an armour-piercing loitering munition.
According to the European missile maker, MBDA’s concept ‘MUTANT’ is based on a ‘Minimum Viable Product’ approach and focused on user requirements.
Related Articles
Nexter selected to develop loitering munition for French military
India receives first batch of ALS-50 loitering munitions from Tata
Uvision sees loitering munition market blooming and diverging at Paris Air Show
The new munition benefits from MBDA technologies, including the Akeron family, to ensure performance in neutralising armoured and mobile targets.
MUTANT also utilises advances in civil and military UAVs to offer ‘a munition with the best cost/performance ratio’.
MBDA called MUTANT ‘a natural complement’ to Akeron MP and LP.
Demonstrations under the Larinae effort are scheduled to take place next year.
MBDA said these demos would benefit from self-financed work carried out by the company since 2022, which has enabled the first MUTANT MTO flights with SME partner Delair.
French Ministry of Armed Forces spokesperson Hervé Grandjean stated in a press conference in May 2022 that the DGA and AID were seeking to acquire loitering munitions under two programmes, Colibri and Larinae.
MBDA is also in the running for the Colibri effort – which seeks a low-cost loitering munition with a much shorter range of 5km.
The MBDA-Novadem Colibri proposal is based on a rotary-wing drone more suited to urban environments.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
![Only 25% of the US Pentagon’s F-35 fleet has been fully mission capable, GAO says]()
Only 25% of the US Pentagon’s F-35 fleet has been fully mission capable, GAO says
The fighter jet remains a combat necessity, but sustainment challenges continue to limit its readiness. In the meantime, the US Air Force seeks billions in funding to improve the F-35's availability.
-
![Eurosatory 2026: How the deep-strike, loitering munition market skyrocketed to $13.8 billion in three years]()
Eurosatory 2026: How the deep-strike, loitering munition market skyrocketed to $13.8 billion in three years
Ukraine’s rapid development of long-range, deep-strike loitering munitions has helped turn the sector into a market worth an estimated US$13.2 billion. The reasons behind this were outlined during Eurosatory 2026, as other countries embark on the early stages of procuring this capability.
-
![Eurosatory 2026: Why security agencies are expanding UAS operations across Europe]()
Eurosatory 2026: Why security agencies are expanding UAS operations across Europe
Uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) are an increasingly important tool for Europe’s law enforcement and public security agencies, with the past two years seeing rapid growth in operational deployment, procurement and regulatory acceptance.
-
![Fuselage of the first US Army MV-75 Cheyenne tiltrotor “is nearing completion”]()
Fuselage of the first US Army MV-75 Cheyenne tiltrotor “is nearing completion”
Bell is advancing construction of the US Army’s next-generation MV-75 Cheyenne tiltrotor as FLRAA programme approaches testing, production and future battlefield deployment.
