During the 70s and until the 90s, the Franco-German Milan and HOT anti-tank missiles were popular with world armies. Unfortunately, in the 2000s, MBDA was unable to convince the governments of the two countries of the need to continue the effort, and new players, including the Israeli Rafael, positioned themselves on the market.
The MMP missile heralds the rebirth of this French dynamic in the field of infantry anti-tank weapons. Capable of engaging targets more than 5 km away, with an efficient guidance system allowing concealed fire while keeping the man in the loop, the MMP is today one of the most efficient missiles in its segment, and the first missiles and firing points were delivered this year to French forces.
The performance of this new missile has not gone unnoticed by the French Navy, which has just carried out, with MBDA, a missile test campaign from naval platforms, notably from RHIB ECUME (fast flexible commando boat) which equip French vessels such as the FREMM and future FTIs.
Thus equipped, the RHIB can engage land targets as well as light naval targets, such as patrol boats or light corvettes. The range of the MMP is in fact greater than that of the 30 or 40 mm cannons which often equip these types of buildings. The flight and diving attack profile of the MMP, associated with its 2 kg hollow charge in tandem, can put a light vessel out of action, or even sink it.
Thus, the MMP will fit perfectly into the range of response capabilities of the Navy, with the ANL (Light Antiship) which will soon equip naval helicopters, and the Exocet MM40 Block III, pending the Future Antiship Missile / Future Franco-British Cruise Missile.