French DGA, MBDA to Develop Future Anti-Ship & Cruise Missiles

The French Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) and European defense firm MBDA launched the development project of future anti-ship and cruise missiles today.

In a tweet January 17, DGA said it launched the project create Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon (FC/ASW) missiles with UK defense Ministry’s Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) and MBDA. The new missiles will replace British Harpoons and French Exocet missiles.

The futur missile antinavire/futur missile de croisière (FMAN/FMC) project was launched in 2017 to develop a new generation of deep strike and anti-ship missiles by 2030.

The new missile was expected to be compatible with the Mk41 VLS cells of the Royal Navy's Type 26 frigates as well as the Sylver A70 cells of the French Navy. It was being designed to replace the air launched Scalp/Storm Shadow as well as the air and ship launched Exocet and Harpoon anti-ship missiles currently in service with French and British air forces and navies by 2030.

MBDA is also leading another Franco-British project - Complex Weapons Innovation Technology Partnership (CW ITP). In a July 2021 announcement, UK’s Defense Science Technology Laboratory (DSTL) stated that the CW ITP is a major Anglo-French project for missile research and development and will see MBDA act as prime to coordinate with suppliers in the UK and France on its behalf, as well as the French DGA.