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MBDA proves Sea Venom/ANL missile compatibility with Lynx and Super Lynx helicopters

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Naval Defense Industry News - UK, France
 
 
 
MBDA proves Sea Venom/ANL missile compatibility with Lynx and Super Lynx helicopters
 
MBDA has successfully conducted air carriage and jettison trials of its cutting-edge Sea Venom/ANL anti-ship missile on board the Lynx Mk 8 naval helicopter. The trials have validated that the missile can be integrated onto the Lynx and Super Lynx helicopters, which remain in frontline service with many customers worldwide.
     
BAE Systems has received a $245 million contract from the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) to provide the gun system, known as the Maritime Indirect Fires System (MIFS), for the Type 26 Global Combat Ship. This award follows the MOD’s announcement of BAE Systems as the preferred bidder last year after a competitive process.Sea Venom test from a Lynx Mk 8. MBDA Picture.
     
Sea Venom/ANL has been developed to deliver an enhanced capability to replace existing and legacy systems such as the UK-developed Sea Skua and the French-developed AS15TT anti-ship missiles.

Working together through the Defence Growth Partnership (DGP) initiative, the trials were conducted by MBDA in collaboration with the UK Defence Solutions Centre (DSC), the Royal Navy and QinetiQ.

The trials were undertaken in March at the Larkhill Range at Boscombe Down, and saw a Royal Navy Lynx Mk8 successfully conduct a series of air carriage trials prior to jettisoning two Sea Venom missiles fitted with telemetry kits. The outcome of the trials has been a de-risking of the integration process of Sea Venom on both the Lynx and Super Lynx helicopters for the export market.
     
Type 26 integrated bridgeThe new trials on board the Lynx Mk 8 validate that the missile can be easily integrated onto any platform. MBDA Picture.
     
The 100 kg-class missile is one of the products of France and the United Kingdom’s highly-successful collaboration on missile technologies. In UK service the missile is planned to be used from the AW159 Wildcat helicopter, while in France the DGA (Direction générale de l’armement – the French defence procurement agency) is currently conducting the development flight campaign for the missile on a Panther test bed helicopter. The new trials on board the Lynx Mk 8 validate that the missile can be easily integrated onto any platform.

Sea Venom is a modern primarily anti-ship missile designed to destroy vessels ranging from FIAC (Fast Inshore Attack Craft), through medium sized FAC (Fast Attack Craft) up to large vessels such as Corvettes from safe stand-off ranges. This missile also has a surface attack capability against coastal and land targets. Unlike legacy semi-active radar guided missiles, Sea Venom uses an imaging infrared seeker that offers ‘fire-and-forget’ capabilities in even the most complex littoral environments. The missile is the natural choice for militaries wishing to replace or enhance their rotary-wing anti-ship capabilities.