MBDA has begun series production of the Missile Moyenne Portée – medium-range missile (MMP), in line with the initial schedule defined by the French procurement agency (DGA), the company said June 14.
The new MMP is being produced to replace the Milan missile, with initial deliveries set for 2017.
The MMP is a fifth generation land combat missile with two firing modes, direct firing with fire-and-forget or man-in-the-loop options as well as indirect firing.
The company said the final development firing of the MMP validated a complex scenario where the target was hidden at time of firing and then designated in flight by the gunner using the seeker’s feedback image, supplied by a fiber-optic link. Using this indirect firing mode, “the MMP offers unparalleled precision and significantly reduces the risk of collateral damage,” MBDA said in a statement.
Following that firing, the DGA declared the start of the qualifying phase and MBDA has already completed the first four firings for this next phase.
Initially launched in 2011, the MMP program has gone through 20 test firings and more ground tests to validate performance values required by the French armed forces. The values include system resistance and employability in extreme environment and temperature conditions, shooting under infra-red guidance at a long-range target (4,100 meters), firing in confined spaces, and warhead versatility. The missile was tested to ensure effectiveness against diverse targets including combat vehicles, dismounted combatants in open spaces, and entrenched infrastructure.
The DGA provided MBDA with an initial schedule for the MMP in 2013 and starting from 2017 the company is to provide 2,850 missiles and 400 firing posts to the French armed forces.