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2021-06-10

MBDA, Nexter Partner on Jaguar MMP Firing

MBDA Missile Systems and Nexter participated in a first lock-on firing of a Missile Moyenne Portée (Medium-Range Missile/MMP) from a Jaguar armoured reconnaissance and combat vehicle (EBRC) in mid-April.

The French defence procurement agency (DGA) carried out the firing at their Land Techniques Test Centre as part of the Jaguar qualification.

Launched from the retractable pod on the Jaguar’s turret in two-missile configuration, the MMP successfully hit its target.

The integration of MMP onto Jaguar is being carried out in stages during the qualification process. This firing is the first stage, effectively demonstrating hitting a fixed target. The system will offer the capability to destroy fixed or mobile hardened land targets, including up to the latest generation of tanks.

Targeting will be direct or beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS). It will also be precise and with minimal collateral damage.

It’s all about indomitable team spirit. MMP’s capabilities – integrated into the Jaguar’s turret by Nexter, alongside the remote controlled weapon station developed by Arquus, the Scorpion common vetronics solution developed by Thales and the 40mm cannon developed by CTAI (Case Telescoped Ammunition International)– gives the Jaguar a key role in collaborative combat.

During this demonstration, the Optrolead PASEO battlefield surveillance sight interfaced with the missile system, offering real-time optronic acquisition by day and by night. This gives the Jaguar slong-range observation and identification capabilities.

Frédéric Michaud, Head of Battlefield Sector for Sales & Business Development at MBDA, stated: “This firing marks an important first step of the work conducted with Nexter to develop the Jaguar turret and integrate the MMP into a weapon system built on the latest technological solutions. This two-missile turret configuration considerably expands the vehicle’s firepower.”

David Marquette, Jaguar project manager at Nexter, praised the exceptional work of the programme team on this critically important system integration project: “This marks a major milestone, demonstrating the technical skills of our teams in designing and developing an operational capability unlike any other in the world.”

MMP’s Proven Capabilities

MMP is the latest (fifth) generation land combat missile system designed for dismounted infantry as well as for integration on combat vehicles. It is in service and has been operationally tested and proven in extremes of climate (desert and sub-arctic conditions). The system’s design includes the growth potential essential for a future family of missiles for modern land combat.

Featuring both fire-and-forget and man-in-the-loop operation, network-enabled MMP also receives third party target designation for indirect firing scenarios. The system has a multi-purpose warhead with the selectable choice of anti-armour of anti-infrastructure modes.

MMP has replaced the Milan and Javelin anti-tank missiles in service with the French Army and Special Forces from 2017.

All-Weather Qualified

In 2018 in Djibouti, the French Army Technical Service (STAT), DGA, with the support of MBDA, achieved the evaluation campaign of the MMP 5th generation land combat missile system.

The objective of this evaluation was to check the suitability of the MMP weapon system for use in semi-desert condition. The results confirm the reliability of the weapon system in hot environment as well as its performance in operational firing scenarios. In 2019, the DGA and STAT organised another campaign to test the MMP land combat missile in extreme cold conditions.

Performed on the Swedish state firing range at Vidsel, located near the Arctic Circle with temperatures between -15 °C and -30 °C, the cold weather campaign of the MMP was a complete success.

Three different firing scenarios, representative of the operational uses of the MMP at long range, were successfully completed. In each case the missile successfully hit its target, confirming the smooth operation of the system’s image processing algorithms under typical winter and subpolar conditions.

The campaign has confirmed the system’s ease of use and good ergonomics (compatibility with the cold weather infantry equipment for example), in highly demanding conditions for the equipment and for the user.

MMP is capable of engaging targets beyond direct line of sight by means of a network-centric enabled tablet computer, or via images relayed by micro-UAVs, and can also operate in symbiosis with various coordination systems and field sensors.

The weapons’ effectiveness has also been proven on small naval craft as well.

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