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MBDA Next Gen Anti-Ship Missile Closer to Reality with UK-French Centres of Excellence Strategy

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Naval Defense Industry News - France, UK
 
 
 
MBDA Next Gen Anti-Ship Missile Closer to Reality with UK-French Centres of Excellence Strategy
 
MBDA's next gen anti-ship missile, currently known as the Future Cruise and Anti-Ship Weapon (FCASW) project, moved closer to reality last week, following an announcement made at a Franco-British Council meeting last week in Paris. Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon has announced Franco-British Centres of Excellence for missile technology in Stevenage and Bolton.
     
MBDA perseus missile FCASW FCASW is likely to share some commonality with the CVS401 Perseus (pictured here), a concept missile unveiled by MBDA at the 2011 Paris Air Show. MBDA Picture
     
The revolutionary Cross-Channel Centres of Excellence Strategy will allow Franco-British defence company MBDA to develop cutting-edge technology in the UK and France while increasing efficiency. The creation of specialised Centres of Excellence for missile technology will support 400 skilled jobs at MBDA’s UK sites in Stevenage and Bolton.

This agreement, concluded under the Lancaster House Treaty of 2010, aims to streamline the highly strategic missile sector.

The UK and France intend to jointly develop several new missiles, one of them being the FCASW. FCASW should eventually replace both anti-ship missiles used by the Royal Navy and Marine Nationale (Harpoon and Exocet respectively) as well as air-launched cruise missiles used by both countries (the Storm Shadow / Scalp). A letter of intent for the launch of a common concept study phase was signed in March 2016. A formal contrat is expected to be signed in 2017. In service date is expected to be around 2030.

While the French Navy's current anti-ship missile, the Exocet MM40 Blk III will be maintained and deployed well into the 2030ies (same goes for the Storm Shadow / Scalp of the RAF and French Air Force & Navy), the Royal Navy has more urgent needs: It was made public last week that the Royal Navy will retire its Harpoon Block 1C anti-ship missiles in 2018.
     
MBDA video
     
FCASW is likely to share some commonality with the CVS401 Perseus, a concept missile unveiled by MBDA at the 2011 Paris Air Show.

According to MBDA, the CVS401 Perseus is capable of multiple operating modes against a wide land and maritime target set whilst capable of defeating advanced enemy defence systems. it is designed as a tactical weapon system operated through and advanced Operations & Mission Planning system at the crossroads of naval, land and air warfare.

The advanced supersonic, agile and stealthy airframe is powered by a revolutionary ramjet motor built around a high compact Continuous Detonation Wave Engine making it an unrivalled penetrator of defence, and a perfect weapon against fast relocatable Targets when combined with the advanced dual mode sensor package.

The lethal package includes two guided effectors ejected from the payload module and a third warhead remaining on-board for a dispersed lethal effect on multi-elements targets such as large warship or a ground based missile system.

The new modular composite structure allows reductions to the overall mass and fosters opportunities for capability enhancement through life, simplifying maintenance operations through the whole life cycle and supporting and developing a family of products.