France to invest €600 million in air defense
29 January, 2025 VL-MICA anti-aircraft missile system. Photo: MBDA The French Ministry of Defense is investing EUR 600 million to strengthen the country's air defense.
OpexNews reported on this. These funds will be used to purchase new anti-aircraft systems, modernize them, and develop new air defense systems in the period from 2024 to 2030. The highest priority and, at the same time, the most expensive area will be the purchase of MICA-VL anti-aircraft systems in the amount of 8 batteries.
They should strengthen the air defense of the French Aerospace Forces and significantly increase their capabilities comparable to the Crotale systems.
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The MICA-VL air defense system is based on the MICA-RF short-range modular air defense missile with an active radar homing head. Since the system is designed as part of a short-range system, the maximum range of intercepting air targets is 20 km, and the altitude is up to 9 km.
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The launcher provides the ability to launch MICA missiles with both active radar hoaming head and infrared seeker. The missile itself has an advanced guidance and control system, which consists of an inertial guidance system, a Link 16 data exchange system, and a radar/infrared seeker.
The peculiarity of using Link 16 is that the missile can be adjusted not only from the system's radar but also from other radar stations, as well as Rafale aircraft. The Navy also expects to strengthen its air defense systems, but it will be aimed at providing direct protection for ships and vessels. For this purpose, it is planned to install a remotely controlled Simbad module that uses transport and launch containers from the Mistral MANPADS.
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Photo: MBDA
This system will provide air defense for the supply ships, complementing the 40mm automatic guns that were announced to be installed on the boats. A brand new addition will be a contract with the French Army to develop wheeled self-propelled air defense systems based on Serval armored vehicles. These systems will be equipped with a Mistral missile launcher and a 30mm cannon to destroy drones.
These will be two separate vehicles with different combat modules.
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The system is called MISTRAL Atlas RC and has already been demonstrated at a defense exhibition. Militarnyi previously reported that France had successfully conducted the first test firing of the new French-Italian ASTER 30 B1 surface-to-air missile.
This ground-based anti-aircraft missile system with these missiles is to be put into service in France in 2026.
After modernization, the missile will also be installed on board Horizon-class air defense destroyers of the Italian Navy (from 2027) and the French Navy (from 2030).
It is stated that MBDA's ASTER B1 NT will intercept short-range or ballistic missiles with a range of up to 1500 km.