MBDA to Develop MMP Missiles as Replacement for the Milan Anti-Tank Missile

Released on Thursday, January 19, 2012

 

On December 30th, 2011, the French defence procurement agency DGA awarded

MBDA a risk reduction contract for the medium range missile (MMP) programme

destined to replace the MILAN weapon system which has been in service with the

French armed forces since 1974. The programme is scheduled to be launched in late

2012. MILAN has been a great success on the export market and the MMP

programme will allow French and European industry to continue to offer customers a

whole family of high-performance missile systems.

The MMP will give close combat units and special forces a versatile and precise

attack capability. Needing to face a great variety of threats, these units need to be

capable of acting alone, on foot and without any immediate support. They will also

need to operate in complex environments (day-night actions; mingling with the

population or with friendly forces; asymmetric combat; plurality of players involved,

etc.) in widely varying areas (urban, desert, mountain zones; etc.). The MMP must be

capable of destroying fixed or moving land targets at distances of up to 2500 m,

including not only latest-generation tanks and light vehicles but also of neutralising

disembarked personnel or personnel under cover in permanent or temporary defence

shelters. During the engagement phases, the system's ease of preparation,

combined with its "fire and forget" and confined space firing capabilities will ensure

optimum protection for the gunner.

 

Source: New system to replace the MILAN missile