Multi-national weapons maker MBDA has revealed the final shape of the stealthy cruise missile it is developing under the Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon (FC/ASW) programme initially for France and the UK and later Italy.
Previously MBDA has shown only digital renderings of the munition but “now we are sufficiently mature with the programme we are able to show the real thing”, a business development executive told journalists ahead of the DSEI show.
Actually comprising two separate weapons, the FC/ASW programme is working on both a supersonic, precision cruise missile alongside the stealthy, lower-speed missile.
MBDA says the two systems are “complementary” and “adaptable – so they can meet the threats of the future”, as well as being “interoperable and co-operative”.
“Our view is that by having this complementary pair of missiles it will provide the resilience that will be needed as we move against threats and how those threats evolve in the future,” the executive says.
While there is only slight commonality between the two weapons at sub-system level, “the main reason we still refer to it as ‘one programme, two missiles’ is around keeping together to design it as a complementary pair of missiles,” the official says.
“Our vision for the future is you will need both types of missiles to achieve the effects you want to achieve.”
Both missiles will be able to be launched from ships or aircraft, with a “roadmap” towards ground-launch capability if requested by customers.
MBDA is bringing together the “best expertise” from the three nations involved in the programme, the executive says.
France and the UK committed to the development phase of the programme earlier this year as part of their Lancaster House 2.0 declaration, while “activities to welcome Italy into the programme are progressing at pace”.
MBDA declines to specify the development timeline for the FC/ASW but says it is “working to the timescales that have been laid out by our customers”.
France and the UK have an ambition to bring both missiles into service around the early 2030s to replace their existing MBDA SCALP-EG/Storm Shadow, Exocet and Boeing AGM-84 Harpoon munitions.
