MBDA’s Low Cost, Long Range Missile, ‘Crossbow’ Could Head to Ukraine

MBDA’s deep assault system CROSSBOW, developed under British leadership, has successfully completed its first test firings.

The system reached the live-fire phase after a 9-month development process, and is targeted to be ready for mass production in 2026, MBDA announced Friday.

MBDA stated that this process, unlike the defense procurement approach, is being carried out using company resources without waiting for any customer orders.

Cost-Effective Mass Impact

The war in Ukraine has once again highlighted the critical importance of the rate of ammunition consumption in high-intensity conflicts.

MBDA positions CROSSBOW as part of its “cost-effective mass impact” concept to address this need. The company aims to offer a lower-cost yet operationally effective solution compared to advanced cruise missiles worth millions of dollars.

The U.K, one of the biggest supporters of Ukraine has earlier stated Ukraine needs a low-cost, long range missile that could be mass-produced easily.

Use against high value targets

CROSSBOW  was developed as a one-way attack system launched from land-based platforms and offering precision strike capability against targets at operational depth.

The system was designed for use against high-value targets behind the front line, such as command and control centers, logistics facilities, ammunition depots, and critical military infrastructure.

800 km range, 300 kg payload

With a range of over 800 kilometers and a payload capacity of 300 kilograms, the CROSSBOW stands out, and thanks to its turbojet engine and image-based navigation capability against GNSS jamming, it can also perform missions in intense electronic warfare environments.

MBDA stated that CROSSBOW was developed using existing subsystems and readily available components, and emphasizes that the system aims to provide an alternative to high-tech but complex and costly cruise missiles.

This approach aims to provide users with a strike capability that can be supplied in large quantities and used intensively when needed, rather than just a limited number of precision munitions.