MBDA April 24 said its Missile Moyenne Portée (MMP) program has passed a major phase in its development, demonstrating the missile firing capabilities in an operational configuration.
MMP is a new generation land combat missile based on the fire and forget concept with the ability to have a man-in-the-loop operation.
Photo: MBDA
The successful tests, done at MBDA’s test tunnel in central France, confirmed the safety of the use of the missile and its firing post, the company said in a statement. The launch tests were conducted in a confined space in the presence of the operator, using his firing post, and the team leader.
Also, the launches were carried out under hot and cold climate conditions to demonstrate optimal function in various temperature environments, thus representing different operational theaters.
In parallel, new warhead tests have confirmed the efficiency of MMP against targets representing latest generation main battle tanks. Two rail firings were carried out at the beginning of the year at the French Direction Generale de l’Armement’s (DGA) battlefield technology center in Bourges.
The first anti-tank firing validated the functioning of the lethality chain at maximum speed, necessary to replicate an impact under real conditions.
A target equipped with a latest generation reactive module provided the main challenge for the second firing. The explosive reactive armor was detonated during the test and the main armor behind was pierced, thereby confirming the superiority of MMP’s lethality chain.
This allows for the destruction of different ground targets with very high levels of precision at ranges of up to 4km while at the same time minimizing the risk of collateral damage.
The MMP missile, which can be fired from a networked infantry firing post or from a vehicle turret, has a wide range of functions, one of which is firing on coordinates which allows non-line-of-sight targets to be engaged.