Paris. 26 February 2022. MBDA has two exciting focuses during DEFEXPO 2022: providing the highest performing missile technologies to India, and secondly supporting Atmanirbhar Bharat as part of MBDA’s longstanding partnership strategy with India.
A superb example of this first pillar are the Indian Air Force’s new Rafale fighter aircraft that are flying fully equipped with truly game changing set of weapons from MBDA – the revolutionary Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile, MICA air combat missile and SCALP deep strike missile. These are the highest performing missiles of their type available anywhere in the world, providing India the ability to stealthily strike deep at enemy targets and to dominate totally in air combat.
MBDA has been actively working in partnership with India’s government and industry to build India’s defence industrial capabilities for over 50 years. Over this time, many tens of thousands of MBDA designed missiles have been built in India and we continue to deepen and deliver on new programmes.
Today MBDA is working closely across the Indian defence ecosystem to deliver these two strategic pillars – deliver on Atmanirbhar Bharat while providing world-best technologies to equip the serving personnel of the Indian Armed Forces. This includes close co-operation with DPSUs such as Bharat Dynamics Limited, with whom an agreement was recently signed to conduct the final assembly, integration and testing (FAIT) of ASRAAM missiles in India for the Indian Air Force. It also includes close co-operation with private sector Indian firms, a notable example being MBDA’s joint venture with Larsen & Toubro, L&T MBDA Missile Systems Ltd. This JV already has a fully working site in Coimbatore manufacturing missile and missile launcher components and is competing to provide local Indian solutions for tenders such as it offer of Sea Ceptor, the latest generation of naval air defence system, for the Indian Navy’s Short-Range Surface to Air Missile (SRSAM) requirement.
During Defexpo 2022 MBDA and L&T MBDA Missile Systems Ltd will be exhibiting a full range of missiles and missile systems portfolio on its own stand that could be of interest to India and other countries across the main defence domains: air, land and sea:
AIR DOMINANCE
METEOR is MBDA’s revolutionary ramjet powered and network-enabled beyond visual range air-to air missile that is widely recognised as a game changer for air combat. The Indian Air Force is receiving this unrivalled system on its new Rafale aircraft. Key to Meteor’s performance is its throttle-able ramjet engine, active radar seeker and datalink that combine to provide unmatched end-game speed and manoeuvrability at greatly extended ranges, resulting in its all-important ‘No Escape Zone’ being several times greater than any other existing or planned BVR weapons. A full scale Meteor will be exhibited on the main MBDA stand.
ASRAAM is being delivered to the IAF as its New Generation Close Combat Missile programme. With its large rocket motor, and clean aerodynamic design, ASRAAM has unrivalled speed and resultant aerodynamic manoeuvrability and range. ASRAAM gives it a high kinematic capability that delivers superior end-game performance for within visual range air combat. ASRAAM will arm the IAF’s upgraded Jaguar fleet, and potentially other IAF platforms. A full-scale Meteor will be exhibited on the main MBDA stand.
MBDA’s stand will also feature sub-scale models of aircraft armaments for the following platforms:
Rafale – Meteor, MICA IR/RF, SCALP, SmartGlider
Rafale M – Meteor, MICA IR/RF, EXOCET AM39
Jaguar – ASRAAM
Mirage 2000 – MICA IR/RF
Gripen – Meteor, ASRAAM, Brimstone, Taurus,
Hawk – ASRAAM, Brimstone
MARITIME SUPERIORITY
Sea Ceptor is a latest generation all-weather air defence system is of particular interest to the Indian Navy as it is under consideration for its Short Range Surface to Air Missile (SRSAM) requirement. Through the use of new advanced technologies, Sea Ceptor provides complete protection against all known and projected air targets including saturation attacks across 360° simultaneously. Sea Ceptor utilises the CAMM missile that features a next generation all-weather fully active RF-seeker, two-way datalink and soft-vertical launch system to provide a step-change in performance compared with previous generation systems. The Sea Ceptor system will be exhibited on the stand of L&T MBDA Missile Systems Ltd during Defexpo 2022.
Exocet probably ranks as the world’s best known anti-ship missile. It is known in India where the submarine variant, SM39, has been delivered to the Indian Navy to arm its Scorpene submarines (Project 75). The AM39 version can be launched from Maritime Patrol Aircraft, strike fighters such as the Rafale as well as medium to heavyweight helicopters. Features such as low signature, sea skimming flight at very low altitudes, late seeker activation, enhanced target discrimination and ECCM combine to make this a redoubtable weapon indeed. Exocet SM39 and AM39 will be exhibited on the MBDA stand at Defexpo 2022 while Exocet MM40 will be exhibited on the stand of L&T MBDA Missile Systems Ltd, which has offered this system for the Indian Navy’s Medium Range Anti-Ship Missile requirement.
MARTE is a family of fixed and rotary wing and ship-launched anti-ship missile weapon systems designed to meet operational requirements in complex littoral environments and blue water scenarios. At DEFEXPO 2022, MBDA is displaying MARTE ER, the latest addition to the family. The high sub-sonic MARTE ER is equipped with a turbo-jet engine giving it a range of well over 120 km, thus enabling it to engage enemy vessels well over the horizon. Other enhancements include an optimized terminal guidance system and 4D waypoints including altitude and time for simultaneous time on target attack. MARTE ER offers rotary and fixed wing aircraft, ships and land based coastal defence systems a significant operational advantage. A sub-scale model of Marte ER will be displayed on the MBDA stand at Defexpo 2022.
BATTLEFIELD
India has a historic partnership on anti-tank guided missiles with MBDA going back to the earliest first generation of ATGMs, with over 50,000 ATGMs built in India through this partnership. During Defexpo 2022 MBDA and L&T MBDA Missile Systems Ltd will be exhibiting the next generation technologies of the battlefield anti-tank weapons. This includes full firing posts of the new MMP missile and a full functional simulator of a new Indian anti-tank missile.
AIR DEFENCE
Mistral is very high-performing man portable air defence system (MANPADS) that has already performed exceptionally well in firing evaluation trials for India, more than meeting India’s operational requirements and what was demanded of the missile system in mountain, desert and maritime conditions. Mistral has already been selected and integrated into the ATAM helicopter launch system for India’s helicopters (namely ALH and LCH), operating Mistral as a MANPADS system will offer major logistics and stock management advantages. On the MBDA stand at Defexpo 2022, Mistral will be displayed in three formats: Mistral ATAM for helicopter launched air defence, Mistral MANPAD for very short range air defence in the land domain, and Mistral SIMBAD RC for lightweight naval air defence.
