France Launches Development of Milan Replacement

The French defence ministry’s defence procurement agency, Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA), on Dec. 30, 2011 awarded a contract to MBDA for the risk reduction phase of the Missile Moyenne Portée (Medium-Range Missile, or MMP) with which it intends to replace the Milan wire-guided anti-tank missile that has been in service since 1974. Launch of the NNP programme is tentatively scheduled for late 2012. The Milan missile is a major export success and the MMP program will allow French and European industry to continue offering its customers a complete family of high-performance missile systems. The MMP is designed to equip front-line combat units and special forces, and to provide them with an accurate and versatile weapon. Faced with a widely diversified range of threats, these units can act alone, on foot and without immediate support, in complex tactical environments (day-night combat, proximity of civilian populations or friendly forces, asymmetric engagements, multiple actors) and a variety of geographical features (urban, desert, mountains ...).