FC/ASW: deep strike critical to Europe’s sovereignty
Current events continue to underline that sovereign deep strike capabilities are of critical importance to European nations. MBDA was created to develop Europe’s deep strike capabilities over two decades ago – and those MBDA-made systems continue to prove of utmost military utility on battlefield and as a conventional deterrent. Today MBDA is working on the next generation of European deep strike systems, with the Future Cruise / Anti-Ship Weapon (FC/ASW) at the fore.
Today’s context has seen both the return of high intensity conflict to Europe and demonstrated the increased density of air defence systems both on the front-line and in-depth. It has shown that to overcome these, armed forces will have to deploy a range of resources embedding disruptive technologies, sometimes in combination, to fulfil their mission. With FC/ASW, MBDA is leveraging the full strength of its co-operative multi-national DNA to shape the future of sovereign deep strike capabilities for anti-ship and surface strike missions for the next decade and beyond.
Given the strategic importance of deep strike, the FC/ASW project has been set a very aggressive schedule by launch partners France and the UK. To deliver on this MBDA has mobilised over 750 dedicated technical experts across the UK and France on the FC/ASW programme.
MBDA’s experts are working at rapid pace developing two different and complementary missiles that represent the absolute cutting edge of deep strike capabilities: an ultra-low observable subsonic missile, and a supersonic highly-manoeuvrable missile.
Importantly the FC/ASW project is progressing rapidly and is on schedule to complete its assessment / risk-reduction phase. This phase focuses on reducing technical risks and increasing the maturity of the key technologies for FC/ASW, the missiles’ sub-systems and wider weapon systems. In parallel, Italy has joined the effort to enable a smooth convergence towards a tri-lateral programme in the near future.
Maturing such a large portfolio of technologies in such a short amount of time has required a massive effort between the nations, and has again demonstrated the value of the MBDA model that gathers funding and technologies to deliver the sovereign capabilities that European Countries require.
This progress has seen MBDA’s experts already successfully complete a series of critical test milestones across all critical elements of the FC/ASW missiles.
The first prototype ultra-low observable missile has already been manufactured and extensive RF-signature testing conducted upon it in a dedicated RF signature testing facility. Exhaustive supersonic wind-tunnel testing has also been completed on the supersonic missile’s propulsion system at MBDA’s facility in Bourges. Test results have been highly impressive, displaying MBDA’s position at the forefront of world missile technologies.
Other trials completed across both missiles include tests on their advanced seekers, tests of the missiles’ warheads and fuzing systems, aerodynamic trials and other engine testing.
These successes demonstrate very significant progress in the programme, and MBDA experts continue to work at pace to conclude further trials ahead of the next phases of the programme. These are anticipated to see Italy complete its convergence into the FC/ASW project, and the launch of tri-nation demonstration and manufacture phases to ensure Europe’s leading militaries receive this critical new sovereign deep strike capability as soon as possible.