Rolls-Royce, Safran to Power MBDA's Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Missile

Rolls-Royce and Safran Power Units agreed at the Farnborough International Airshow to power MBDA’s Franco-British Future Cruise / Anti-Ship Weapon (FC/ASW).

Both partners will work collaboratively to mature a new propulsion solution for a subsonic, low observable missile expected to be fielded before the end of the decade, as per a joint press release.

Earlier the UK Ministry of Defence and the French Armament General Directorate (Direction Générale de l’Armement -DGA) signed a bilateral agreement for the FC/ASW programme that will see the joint development of a next generation of deep strike and heavy anti-ship 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.

FC/ASW is 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 is 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.

The French Navy, as per reports, is said to be in favor of a ramjet-powered, supersonic anti-ship missile with “high penetration capacity.”

MBDA says the FC/ASW will have Additive Layer Manufacturing (ALM) Penetrator warheads, ceramic blades, high temperature RF materials to protect communications antennae that will be integrated into the surface of the missile.