Twin MISTRAL Launcher for Self-Protection

MBDA successfully demonstrated the efficacy of its SIMBAD-RC automated naval turret against small boat targets such as Fast Inshore Attack Craft (FIAC) to an international audience at the end of last year, the company announced on 9 January.

The twin launcher for the MISTRAL missile fired from a land installation against a fast-moving remotely-controlled semi-rigid boat more than three kilometres off the coast, in a scenario designed to be representative of the self-protection of a vessel against an asymmetric threat such as a commando or terrorist attack.

In its latest version, currently in service with the French armed forces, MISTRAL is an air defence missile equipped with an imaging infrared seeker with advanced image processing capabilities. These allow it to engage low thermal signature targets such as UAVs’ missiles and fast boasts, from tactically significant distances, whilst at the same time offering excellent resistance to countermeasures.

SIMBAD-RC is a remotely-controlled very short-range naval air defence system providing highly efficient capabilities against a wide range of threats, from combat aircraft through anti-ship missiles to small threats such as UAVs. Easy to install, it provides small units or support vessels with a true self-defence capability or reinforced defence for other types of surface vessel. Each turret supports two ready-to-fire MISTRAL missiles. The turret is remotely-operated, allowing the operator to remain under cover in the vessel’s operation centre, and thus ensures longer operational availability in case of a combat alert.

“MBDA is constantly striving to help armed forces make optimum use of their investments in our products,” commented MBDA CEO, Antoine Bouvier. “The demonstration of the SIMBAD-RC MISTRAL combination against surface targets reflects our policy of giving our systems additional capacities to supplement those they were originally designed to provide.”