Thales, Aselsan to continue MLS development
Thales and Aselsan have signed a cooperation agreement to continue the joint development of a Missile Launcher System (MLS).
The under-development MLS incorporates Aselsan's own MLS and Thales' Lightweight Multi-role Missiles (LMM). The two began joint development in 2010, with the first-stage firings of the integrated MLS and LMM demonstrated in 2014.
This new agreement covers further firing demonstrations, initially in the naval domain. It also covers further cooperation between Thales and Aselsan in other areas.
The Thales LMM is a lightweight precision strike missile that can be fired from various tactical platforms, including helicopters, UAVs, tracked or wheeled vehicles and naval platforms. It can attack surface threates such as UAVs, fast in-shore attack crafts, asymmetric threats, armoured personnel carriers and static installations.
The Aselsan MLS is a customised lightweight and compact system for ships, fast patrol boats and other naval platforms. It can defend critical infrastructure such as naval bases, sea ports and oil rigs from various air and surface threats.
The LMM MLS can be fully integrated in a combat management system or used autonomously. It has 4/8 ready-to-fire Thales LMMs, two-axis gyro-stabilised turret, automatic target tracking with an independent stabilised EO suite, laser range finding and more.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
Canada begins work on heavy polar icebreaker to protect its high-Arctic sovereignty
The vessel, made under the auspices of the country’s National Shipbuilding Strategy, will be the first heavy icebreaker built in Canada for over six decades.
-
Fincantieri begins steel-cutting on FREMM EVO frigates for the Italian Navy
The two new frigates are expected to enter service by 2030.
-
BAE Systems to provide missile tubes to Block VI Virginia-class submarines
The construction of the Block V submarines is still ongoing, with none of the ten boats yet commissioned.
-
US Navy tests Aegis combat system for hypersonic missile defence
The Arleigh Burke destroyer USS Pinckney undertook the tests against a simulated SM-6 missile.
-
Royal Navy destroyer completes UAV live-fire exercise before heading to the Indo-Pacific
HMS Dauntless ran a full UAV test to mimic potential real-world threats.