Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon

Future Cruise / Anti-Ship Weapon programme
TypeTP15:
Air-launched cruise missile
Anti-ship missile
RJ10:
Anti-ship missile
SEAD/DEAD missile
Surface-to-air missile
Place of originFrance
Italy
United Kingdom
Service history
In serviceExpected late 2020s to early 2030s
Used byFrench Navy
French Air Force
Italian Air Force
Italian Navy
Royal Air Force
Royal Navy
Production history
DesignerMBDA
VariantsRJ10: supersonic highly-manoeuverable missile[1]
TP15: ultra-low observable subsonic missile[1]
Specifications

The FC/ASW (Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon) or FMAN/FMC in French (Futur Missile Anti-Navire/Futur Missile de Croisière), also dubbed FOSW (Future Offensive Surface Weapon) and SPEAR 5, is a next generation missile programme launched by France and the United Kingdom in 2017 to succeed their jointly-developed Storm Shadow/SCALP as well as their respective Exocet and Harpoon anti-ship missiles.[2][3][4][5] Equally funded by both countries with a workload evenly split, the project is led by MBDA and is a product of the close defence relationship set out between the two nations by the Lancaster House treaties.[6] In June 2023, it was announced Italy would join the programme; a restructuring of the workshare to reflect this new development is expected to take place.[7][8]

In 2017, an agreement for the launch of a concept phase was signed between the two initial partners and, in March 2019, MBDA announced the key review of the programme was successfully completed in cooperation with the French Directorate General of Armament (DGA) and the British Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S).[4]

On 18 February 2022, an agreement and associated contracts signed by the head of the DGA, his British counterpart and the CEO of MBDA confirmed the launch of the preparation works for the FC/ASW.[9][3] As of 2022, the programme was examining two different but complimentary missile concepts; with the discontinuation of a hypersonic solution similar to the CVS401 Perseus which was an early hypersonic missile concept study from MBDA with input from both France and the UK.[9] By 2024, these two concepts had evolved into prototypes for a low observable subsonic cruise missile currently known as the TP15 and a supersonic highly manoeuvrable missile currently known as the RJ10.[10]

The latest timeline for the programme is that the assessment phase will be completed in 2024 and would move to the manufacturing phase from 2025 to 2035.[8]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :14 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "SPEAR Missile - Think Defence". www.thinkdefence.co.uk. 2022-11-06. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  3. ^ a b Vavasseur, Xavier (February 18, 2022). "Future Cruise and Anti-Ship Weapon FC/ASW Program Reaches New Milestone".
  4. ^ a b Smaldore, Yannick (July 31, 2019). "Will the French-British FC/ASW Missile Program Survive a Hard Brexit ?".
  5. ^ "A guide to the Type 26 Frigate | Navy Lookout". www.navylookout.com. 2022-11-28. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  6. ^ "France & UK Launch Next-Gen Missile Project with MBDA to Replace Harpoon/Scalp/Exocet by 2030". Navy Recognition. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  7. ^ Vavasseur, Xavier (June 26, 2023). "Italy Joins France and the UK for FC/ASW Program".
  8. ^ a b "Italy finally funds naval missile projects | Shephard". www.shephardmedia.com. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
  9. ^ a b "UK and France advance future cruise / anti-ship weapon project". MBDA.
  10. ^ Martin, Tim (2024-11-05). "MBDA reveals Anglo-French future cruise/anti-ship missile stealth and wind tunnel testing". Breaking Defense. Retrieved 2024-11-06.