France receives first MMP weapon systems
The French armed forces has received the first batch of 50 missiles and 20 firing posts of the medium-range Missile Moyen Portee (MMP) missile, MBDA announced on 30 November.
The MMP will gradually replace the MILAN anti-tank system currently in service with the French Army. The weapon system will be issued to French Army infantry and cavalry units and special forces of the army, navy and air force.
The MMP programme will see the delivery of 400 firing posts and 1,750 missiles across all of the French armed forces by 2025. The first deliveries will be used to train future users and the weapon system will be operationally deployed from 2018. The French Defence Procurement Agency qualified the system in July 2016, paving the way for serial production.
The MMP is effective against a wide range of ground targets, including armoured and non-armoured vehicles and infrastructure. It offers both fire-and-forget and man-in-the-loop capabilities - the first enables fixed or mobile targets to be hit without intervention by the operator during the missile’s flight; the second allows the operator to change targets mid-flight, to refine the point of impact, or to divert the missile, while also opening up the possibility of firing at hidden targets beyond the direct line of sight.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
First locally built KF41 Lynx IFV handed over to Hungary
The KF41 procurement is part of Hungary’s Zrínyi 2026 development plan and is one of several efforts to procure modern, NATO-standard platforms that will supersede legacy equipment received from the Soviet Union by 2026.
-
How Spain’s acquisition of PAC-3 MSE can boost European air defence
Madrid will increase interoperability with the other seven users of next-gen Patriot in the region.
-
MBDA announces new VSHORAD system at Farnborough International Airshow 2024
The VSHORAD supersonic single-operator interceptor air defence system was unveiled at Farnborough.
-
Raytheon notes CUAS laser success and pushes for faster air defence manufacture
Raytheon’s Patriot air defence system has been in high demand with orders and commitment coming in from Germany, Romania and Spain.
-
BAE Tridon MK2 fitted with Chess Dynamics fire control system
The collaboration between the defence giant and the gunfire control specialist will help deliver a modular anti-drone solution.