• Defence Notes

  Typhoon in Brimstone live firing

  19th July 2017

  MBDA’s Brimstone air-to-surface missile has been fired from a Eurofighter Typhoon for the first time.The integration of the weapon is part of the Phase 3 …

• Land Warfare

  French prepare for new anti-tank missile

  20th July 2017

  The French Army is on schedule to take delivery of its new MMP (Missile Moyenne Portée) portable anti-tank weapon by year end, French officials have …

• Land Warfare

  Indian SOEs to upgrade BMP-2 fleet

  26th July 2017

  India is modernising 693 examples of its licence-built BMP-2/2K Sarath infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), with the project valued at around $375 million. The programme, which …

• Defence Notes

  MBDA seeks munition revolution

  22nd June 2017

  European missile house MBDA has unveiled a new family of gliding smart munitions, but officials played down suggestions it could compete as a Small Diameter …

• Land Warfare

  Paris Air Show: Le Bourget under air defence ‘bubble’ (video)

  26th June 2017

  While most visitors at this year’s Paris Air Show were concerned with applying enough sun protection, the French Air Force had another more pressing concern; …

• Naval Warfare

  Will Singapore inject Sea Venom?

  7th June 2017

  Singapore has expressed interest in a lightweight shore-based anti-ship missile system, with industry sources attending IMDEX and the Shangri-La Dialogue confirming that the island’s military was considering …

• Digital Battlespace

  Paris Air Show: Upgraded Rafale set for trials

  13th June 2017

  The French Air Force is on track to carry out qualification trials of the new ‘F3R’ standard Dassault Rafale next year, which will include testing …

• Defence Helicopter

  ​Brazilian Navy details Super Cougar delivery

  23rd May 2017

  The Brazilian Navy has received seven H225M in UH-15 configuration from Airbus Helicopters subsidiary Helibras, with the first of two UH-15A CSAR aircraft to be delivered this year out …

• Defence Notes

  MBDA awarded £539 million missile contracts

  25th April 2017

  MBDA has been awarded contracts worth a combined £539 million for new missile systems for the UK armed forces, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) …

• Naval Warfare

  French Navy to get Belharra frigates

  26th April 2017

  DCNS has been selected for the development and construction of five intermediate-size frigates for the French Navy, the company announced on 21 April. Known as …

• Land Warfare

  French Scorpion gets moving

  2nd May 2017

  The French arms procurement agency, the DGA, has awarded a contract for its first installment of vehicles under the Scorpion programme. A temporary business group …

• Defence Helicopter

  Singapore enhancing its Apache fleet

  17th April 2017

  A Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow featuring numerous modifications similar to the Israel Defense Forces AH-64D-I Saraf was recently spotted on an evening training flight in …

• Defence Helicopter

  Sea Venom cleared for Lynx exports

  6th April 2017

  European missile manufacturer MBDA has successfully completed air carriage and jettison trials of its new Sea Venom anti-ship missile from a Royal Navy Lynx Mk8 …

• Defence Notes

  FC/ASW concept phase programme launched

  29th March 2017

  The French DGA and UK Ministry of Defence have launched the joint concept phase of the Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon (FC/ASW) programme with MBDA, with an …

• Defence Notes

  MBDA upholds European defence collaboration

  16th March 2017

  Against a backdrop of Brexit and political uncertainty across Europe, MBDA will to continue down the road of European defence industry collaboration as its looks …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Loitering munitions

  Colibri [France]

  Programme Background Origins French Ministry of Armed Forces spokesperson Hervé Grandjean stated in a press conference in May 2022 that the Direction Générale de l'Armement (DGA) ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Remote Carrier (RC) [Germany]

  Programme Background FCAS Project As noted by Airbus, the FCAS project is a tri-nation effort which will be centred around a core Next-Generation Weapon System (NGWS), which ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Remote Carrier (RC) [France]

  Programme Background FCAS Project As noted by Airbus, the FCAS project is a tri-nation effort which will be centred around a core Next-Generation Weapon System ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Remote Carrier (RC) [Spain]

  Programme Background FCAS Project As noted by Airbus, the FCAS project is a tri-nation effort which will be centred around a core Next-Generation Weapon System ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Rafale Follow-On (Egypt)

  Programme Background Egypt was reported to request 12 Rafale fighters following an earlier contract in 2015. However, this deal fell into limbo after the Pentagon blocked ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme [Italy]

  Programme Background Shephard notes that the Italian, British and Japanese components of GCAP are tracked in separate entries. Programme Timeline 2019: In September 2019, the UK and Italian ...

• Loitering munitions

  Larinae [France]

  Programme Background Origins French Ministry of Armed Forces spokesperson Hervé Grandjean stated in a press conference in May 2022 that the Direction Générale de l'Armement ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Rafale [France]

  Programme Background Rafale F4 is the latest configuration of the Rafale fighter jet family. New functions will also be developed to improve the aircraft’s capabilities ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Remote Carrier [French Navy]

  Background Carrier Air Wing Plan The French Navy presented a broad plan for its carrier air wing for the future decades at a briefing at ...

• Frigates

  Multi-Mission Surface Combatant (MMSC) [Saudi Arabia]

  Programme Background The US State Department approved a possible $11.25 billion Foreign Military Sale to the KSA for MMCS ships and associated equipment, parts and ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Future Combat Air System (FCAS/SCAF) [France]

  Programme Background The governments of France and Germany have launched the demonstrator phase for the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) with the issue of an ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Future Combat Air System (FCAS/SCAF) [Spain]

  Programme Background Programme Timeline The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) was publicly announced in July 2017, followed by a Franco-German agreement in 2018. At the ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Future Combat Air System (FCAS/SCAF) [Germany]

  Background Requirement The FCAS programme is based on the system-of-systems design, envisioning a "command fighter" aircraft that has stand-alone combat capability as well as controlling ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Sherpa Light [Morocco]

  Programme Background Morocco is in the midst of procuring large quantities of defence equipment from the French defence industry to modernise its forces, with much ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) [Japan]

  Programme Background Shephard notes that GCAP's Japanese, British and Italian components are tracked in separate entries. Programme Timeline 2020: The Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency of Japan issued ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Guided munitions

  SmartGlider Light

  The SmartGlider Light is a precision-guided air-to-ground munition developed by MBDA, designed to enhance the strike capabilities of modern combat aircraft. MBDA anticipates that the ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  VL MICA RF

  The VL MICA missile is derived from the original MICA air-to-air missile developed by MBDA. The VL MICA system's first iteration was developed for naval ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  VL MICA IR

  The VL MICA missile is derived from the original MICA air-to-air missile developed by MBDA. The VL MICA system's first iteration was developed for naval ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  Aster 30

  The ASTER-30 is a vertically launched surface-to-air missile produced by Eurosam, a joint venture between MBDA France, MBDA Italy, and the Thales Group. Its basic ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  CAMM

  The Common Anti-air Modular Missile (CAMM) is a short-range, anti-aircraft and anti-missile surface-to-air missile. Developed to be launched from maritime platforms, land-based platforms and aircraft, ...

• Naval guns, Land: RWS

  DragonFire

  Dragonfire is a new laser weapon system built for the UK MoD, receiving £30 million of funding in early 2017. The design of the gun ...

• SABER

  The Small Air Bomb Extended Range (SABER) family is being developed to provide a low-cost weapon for small and medium-sized UAVs and small tactical UAVs. ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range

  MEADS

  The Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) provides 360° defence against existing and future tactical or medium-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, UAVs and aircraft. MEADS ...

• Surface-to-surface missiles

  MdCN-NCM (Naval Cruise Missile)

  Developed by MBDA to meet the needs of the French Navy, the MdCN-NCM is a long-range cruise missile capable of being launched from surface and below-surface vessels. ...

• Loitering munitions

  Akeron RCH 170

  Unveiled in April 2025, the Akeron RCH 170 is a fixed-wing loitering munition from MBDA. Similar in design to the Switchblade 300, the catapult launched system ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  MPCV

  The Multi-Purpose Combat Vehicle (MPCV) is a 4x4 armoured vehicle developed by Soframe on the Mercedes-Benz Unimog 5000 truck chassis. Able to accommodate between four ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  Aster 15

  The Aster 15 is a vertically launched surface-to-air missile produced by Eurosam, a joint venture between MBDA France, MBDA Italy and the Thales Group. It ...

• Air-to-surface missiles, Surface-to-surface missiles

  Brimstone

  MBDA developed the Brimstone missile to provide an air-to-surface missile to equip UK RAF Tornados. The Dual Mode Brimstone (DMB) semi-active laser and the millimetre-wave, ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  Storm Shadow/SCALP EG

  The Storm Shadow is an air-launched cruise missile developed by France, Italy and the UK. It is known as the Storm Shadow in the UK ...

• Artillery rockets

  Thundart

  Thundart is a 22 mm GPS/INS guided artillery rocket being developed by MBDA and French Safran for M270 LRU MLRS of the French Army.