• Naval Warfare

  MBDA unveils new Marte Coastal Defence System

  21st March 2014

  MBDA has developed a new coastal defence system based on the Marte missile family called the Marte Coastal Defence System (MCDS). The system is designed …

• Defence Helicopter

  Slowdown in bookings for Airbus Helicopters

  27th February 2014

  Net bookings for Airbus Helicopters dropped from 469 units in 2012 to 422 in 2013 while annual revenues remained stable with a marginal increase to …

• Land Warfare

  Defexpo 2014: Saab teams up for air defence

  7th February 2014

  Saab has teamed with Bharat Forge to pursue Indian Army procurement programmes for air defence systems, the company has revealed. Saab announced the move at …

• Land Warfare

  Defexpo 2014: MBDA Mistral awaits VSHORADS progress

  6th February 2014

  MBDA is displaying its Mistral MANPAD system at the Defexpo in Delhi as the company awaits a decision on the Indian Army’s Very Short Range …

• Land Warfare

  Defexpo 2014: Saab teams for SRSAM programme

  6th February 2014

  Swedish defence manufacturer Saab has teamed with Indian vehicle producer Ashok Leyland for the Indian Army’s ground-based air defence (GBAD) programme. The arrangements, which were …

• Naval Warfare

  Defexpo 2014: DCNS updates on Indian sub programme

  4th February 2014

  French shipbuilder, DCNS, has announced that the first Scorpene submarine built under licence by Mazagon Docks (MDL) will be commissioned in 2015. Issued in a …

• Naval Warfare

  MBDA to continue MCM- ITP programme work

  13th December 2013

  MBDA will continue research and development work for the Materials and Components for Missiles - Innovation and Technology Partnership (MCM-ITP) programme, following the issue of …

• Land Warfare

  French Army selects MMP weapon system

  6th December 2013

  The French DGA has announced that the French Army will deploy the MMP (Missile Moyenne Portée) weapon system from 2017 onwards. The MMP will replace …

• Land Warfare

  MBDA prepares to ship MPCVs

  19th November 2013

  MBDA has completed factory acceptance tests and integration work on the first batch of Multi-Purpose Combat Vehicles (MPCVs) for export. The company announced the milestone …

• Defence Notes

  UK MoD announces MBDA Brimstone missile contract

  18th November 2013

  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a contract with MBDA that will see the Royal Air Force (RAF) supplied with Brimstone missiles for …

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall demos mobile HEL effector

  28th October 2013

  New advances in high-energy laser (HEL) technology for air defence were displayed by Rheinmetall during a live demonstration at the Ochsenboden firing range on 24 …

• Digital Battlespace

  AUSA 2013: MBDA advances SPEAR

  22nd October 2013

  MBDA Missile Systems expects to conduct platform integration trials of its SPEAR network-enabled precision surface attack air-to-ground missile (ATGM) late next year.  The company is …

• Naval Warfare

  MBDA details Brimstone 2 programme achievements

  21st October 2013

  MBDA has reported successful results from the firings of the Brimstone missile as part of the UK MoD Brimstone 2 development programme. The tests were …

• Naval Warfare

  Royal Navy of Oman fires MBDA’s VL MICA missile

  15th October 2013

  MBDA’s VL MICA missile has been successfully operationally fired from the Royal Navy of Oman’s (RNO’s) Al Shamikh Ocean Patrol Vessel (OPV). The firing took …

• Defence Notes

  MBDA makes Australia hub of Asia Pacific growth

  9th October 2013

  MBDA has opened an office in Canberra, making Australia the centre of its targeted growth in the Asia Pacific region.  The company is looking at …

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, ...

• 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.

• 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 ...