MBDA Mistral Missile Tested Against Leonardo's New M-40 Target Drones

Leonardo has demonstrated its new M-40 target drone against MBDA-made Mistral surface-to-air missile, in Italy.

"Leonardo has concluded a series of flights with its M-40 target drone as part of a trials campaign in Italy. This saw the drones simulating modern airborne threats, allowing for the realistic demonstration of MBDA’s latest surface-to-air Mistral missile," Leonardo said in a statement Tuesday.

The M-40 is Leonardo’s latest entry in its Mirach target drone family capable of mimicking a variety of aircraft and missiles, including radar, infrared (IR) and visual threats. During the Mistral demonstration, the M-40 simulated enemy airborne platforms for the missile to target.

The missile intercepted the target, proving its capabilities and allowing MBDA to collect valuable data on the missile’s performance, Leonardo said.

The M-40 drones, with endurance of 60 minutes, have carried out 6 flights between October 28 and November 6.