Mistral 3 in test firing demo
MBDA’s Mistral 3 missile has taken part in a test firing to demonstrate its enhanced capabilities, the company announced on 15 November.
The demonstration saw the missile intercept a moving target at a range of over seven kilometres.
The firing was carried out on a small Mirach 40 target, from a complete installation including a Saab Giraffe 1Xradar system, a Licorne command and control unit, and an Atlas RC launcher.
Currently in service with French forces, the Mistral 3 missile is an air defence missile equipped with an infrared imaging seeker and advanced image processing capabilities. This allows it to engage low thermal signature targets such as; UAVs, turbojet-powered missiles and fast craft at long range, while offering excellent resistance to countermeasures.
A second demonstration was carried out to show the missile’s capabilities in a counter-UAS role. Several Licorne systems using different configurations of sensors (Saab 1X radar, IR monitoring, remotely operated cameras) and launchers (Atlas RC and MANPAD) were deployed to illustrate the overall performance of the system against UAVs, and the ability of the missile to lock on to this type of target.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
![Red Cat to begin Black Widow sUAS production in early 2025]()
Red Cat to begin Black Widow sUAS production in early 2025
Red Cat, recently selected for the US Army’s ambitious SRR programme to supply warfighters with the next-generation Black Widow sUAS, will begin production on the uncrewed platform in early 2025.
-
![Israel set to order more JLTVs and missile boats]()
Israel set to order more JLTVs and missile boats
The Nagel Committee has been established to examine defence spending and IDF military force design for the future in the wake of last year’s 7 October Hamas attack on Israel.
-
![US services test wearable tech to improve soldier’s performance]()
US services test wearable tech to improve soldier’s performance
Developed by the USC Institute for Creative Technologies, the Lightning Platform is an app to assess warfighters’ physiology, metabolism and mental and cognitive status.
-
![Romania opens the chequebook and reorganises as it watches Russian aggression]()
Romania opens the chequebook and reorganises as it watches Russian aggression
Romania is retiring old systems, some Soviet, and replacing them with western equipment from countries such as Sweden and Turkey and boosting existing modern fleets.
-
![Milrem picks Texelis for partnership in drive to develop large UGV]()
Milrem picks Texelis for partnership in drive to develop large UGV
Milrem has delivered or is building a total of 200 Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry System UGVs and has chosen Texelis as partner in its effort to develop a UGV.
