MBDA rebrands Akeron missile line to clear up confusion

PARIS — European consortium MBDA has introduced a new line of fifth-generation tactical combat missiles, now dubbed Akeron, at the Eurosatory trade show near Paris this week.

The consortium — made up of French company Airbus, U.K. firm BAE Systems and Italian business Leonardo — renamed its combat-proven MMP medium-range missile and its in-development MHT long-range missile to Akeron MP and Akeron LP, respectively.

These multipurpose munitions were primarily designed as anti-tank weapons, but they can also accurately target infrastructure and personnel, business executive Frederic Michaud told reporters during a Tuesday morning briefing.

The Akeron line is intended to help militaries respond to the wide range of threats they can face on a battlefield, he added. They weapons will feature high-resolution multiband imagers, multi-effect warheads, data links, and “multi-mode guidance algorithms based on [artificial intelligence] techniques,” according to MBDA.

Operators will be able to employ multiple modes of engagement, including fire and forget, human in the loop, locking the target before firing, and locking on after firing — the latter of which facilitates firing beyond the line of sight.

Michaud said a key characteristic of the Akeron family is “collaborative engagement on the battlefield,” achieved by gathering information from drones and other unmanned systems as well as forward observers, and delivering the data to the missile system for more rapid, accurate targeting.

Choosing the names MMP and MHT, which are acronyms for the French “missile moyen portee” and “missile haut de trame,” respectively, previously led to confusion in the Anglosaxon community, he acknowledged. “We decided to take advantage of the launching of extending the family for rebranding our portfolio.”

The missile formerly known as MMP has been in service with the French Army for the past five years, and it deployed to several theaters of operation, Michaud noted. Belgium and Sweden have also selected it for their forces. The weapon has been fired more than 200 times.

An MMP firing demo for international delegations takes place at the Canjuers military camp in France on Oct. 12 2018. (MBDA)

The Akeron MP is meant for infantry use as a 15-kilogram (33-pound) munition, and it can be integrated on a firing post weighing 11 kilograms (24 pounds), meaning the set is easily carried by two people, Michaud said. The MP can also be integrated on the French Army’s Jaguar vehicle or lighter turrets on a remote weapon system, such as Arquus’ Hornet.

Meanwhile, the Akeron LP was designed for longer ranges. It’s a more flexible version of the MP, particularly when placed on a drone, Michaud noted. MBDA added semi-active lasers to the munition “to allow the missile to lock at a very long range on a laser spot,” he said.

The LP is souped up for anti-infrastructure targeting, he added. “It has been reinforced by the fact that the missile is equipped with a penetrator, enabling the missile to penetrate a building and then explode.”

The LP is currently under development and will arm the Tiger MkIII attack helicopters under construction by Airbus for the French and Spanish armies. France will also incorporate it into its Scorpion program , which aims to fully replace the Army’s ground vehicles, tanks, attack helicopters, and various sensors and weapons by 2040, Michaud explained.

Both missiles are featured in MBDA’s LynkEUs beyond-line-of-sight capability program , currently under consideration for support from the European Defence Fund, he added.

Vivienne Machi is a reporter based in Stuttgart, Germany, contributing to Defense News' European coverage. She previously reported for National Defense Magazine, Defense Daily, Via Satellite, Foreign Policy and the Dayton Daily News. She was named the Defence Media Awards' best young defense journalist in 2020.

巴黎——本周，欧洲MBDA集团在巴黎附近的欧洲防务展上推出了一系列新型第五代战术作战导弹，现命名为“阿克龙”（Akeron）。

由法国空中客车公司、英国BAE系统公司和意大利莱昂纳多公司组成的财团，将其久经沙场考验的MMP中程导弹和正在研发的MHT远程导弹分别更名为Akeron MP和Akeron LP。

企业高管弗雷德里克·米肖在周二上午的新闻发布会上告诉记者，这些多用途弹药主要设计为反坦克武器，但它们也可以精确地打击基础设施和人员。

他补充说，Akeron系列武器旨在帮助各国军队应对战场上可能面临的各种威胁。据MBDA公司称，这些武器将配备高分辨率多波段成像仪、多效弹头、数据链以及“基于人工智能技术的多模式制导算法”。

操作人员将能够采用多种交战模式，包括发射后不管、人机交互、开火前锁定目标以及开火后锁定目标——后者有助于在视线之外进行射击。

米肖表示，阿克龙系列导弹的一个关键特点是“战场上的协同作战”，它通过收集无人机和其他无人系统以及前线观察员的信息，并将数据传输到导弹系统，从而实现更快速、更精确的目标定位。

他承认，选择MMP和MHT这两个名称（分别是法语“missile moyen portee”和“missile haut de trame”的缩写）之前曾导致英语社群感到困惑。“我们决定借着产品系列扩展的机会，对我们的产品组合进行品牌重塑。”

米肖指出，这款原名为MMP的导弹已在法国陆军服役五年，并部署到多个战区。比利时和瑞典也已将其列装本国军队。该导弹已发射超过200次。

2018年10月12日，在法国坎茹尔军营为国际代表团举行了MMP实弹射击演示。（MBDA）

米肖表示，阿克伦MP榴弹是一种供步兵使用的15公斤（33磅）重的弹药，可以集成到重量为11公斤（24磅）的射击支架上，这意味着两人即可轻松携带。MP榴弹还可以集成到法国陆军的“美洲虎”装甲车或遥控武器系统（例如Arquus公司的“大黄蜂”）的轻型炮塔上。

与此同时，阿克龙LP导弹的设计射程更远。米肖指出，它是MP导弹的更灵活版本，尤其适用于无人机发射。他表示，MBDA公司在导弹中加入了半主动激光器，“使导弹能够在极远距离锁定激光点”。

他补充说，LP导弹经过强化，专门用于反基础设施打击。“导弹配备了穿甲弹头，使其能够穿透建筑物并在其中爆炸，这进一步增强了其打击能力。”

LP系统目前正在研发中，将装备空客公司为法国和西班牙军队建造的虎式MkIII攻击直升机。米肖解释说，法国还将把该系统纳入其“蝎子”计划，该计划旨在到2040年全面替换陆军的地面车辆、坦克、攻击直升机以及各种传感器和武器。

他补充说，这两款导弹都属于MBDA公司的LynkEU超视距作战能力项目，目前正在考虑获得欧洲防务基金的支持。

薇薇安·马奇是驻德国斯图加特的一名记者，主要负责《防务新闻》的欧洲报道。她此前曾为《国家防务杂志》、《防务日报》、《卫星通讯》、《外交政策》和《代顿每日新闻》撰稿。2020年，她荣获防务媒体奖最佳青年防务记者称号。