France clears MMP missile for desert operations
The French Army has carried out operational evaluation of the MMP land combat missile system in Djibouti, to assess the weapon’s suitability for use in semi-desert conditions.
The tests, carried out with the French DGA and MBDA, saw nine firings of the missile, with all reaching their target. The results confirm the reliability of the weapon system in hot environments as well as its performance in operational firing scenarios, clearing the MMP for deployment as part of Operation Barkhane in the coming weeks.
Djibouti offers a training enviornment where climatic conditions are similar to those encountered in the current zones of engagement in the Sahel-Saharan belt.
The French Navy has also carried out firings of the MMP from the ECUME rigid-hulled inflatable boat. The first firing was from the sea on a land target and the second was from the sea on a sea target. According to MBDA, MMP is the first weapon system of this class capable of being implemented on the ECUME vessels.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
![The first of 663 BvS10s delivered to Germany, Sweden and the UK]()
The first of 663 BvS10s delivered to Germany, Sweden and the UK
The vehicles are based on the latest version of the BvS10 All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) and include variants for troop transport, logistics, medical evacuation, recovery, and command and control. An unarmoured version is being delivered to the US and offered to Canada.
-
![DSEI 2025: Thales creating new remote weapon station and Storm 2 counter-drone jammer]()
DSEI 2025: Thales creating new remote weapon station and Storm 2 counter-drone jammer
Thales launched Storm-H in 2012 as an EW system equipping individual dismounted troops, and a decade later revealed details to develop the improved and more powerful Storm 2.
-
![The integration between drones and land vehicles is accelerating]()
The integration between drones and land vehicles is accelerating
Drones and military ground vehicles are increasingly being designed to operate together as a single platform or even to convert crewed systems to automated ones.
-
![Denmark shuns US platform as it settles on SAMP/T air defence system]()
Denmark shuns US platform as it settles on SAMP/T air defence system
The acquisition, which is part of the country’s broader defence package worth DKK58 billion (US$9.2 billion), goes against the grain with many other European countries opting for the US’s popular Patriot platform.
-
![In depth: Competition for British Army vehicle programme heats up, despite more delays]()
In depth: Competition for British Army vehicle programme heats up, despite more delays
The UK’s Land Mobility Programme (LMP) seems set to be delayed once again but industry is jockeying for position to partner in what would be one of the biggest ever buys for the British Army.
