MBDA starts the design of the future European hypersonic weapon interceptor system

MBDA signed with the Organization for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR), a European Defense Fund grant agreement on behalf of the HYpersonic Defence Interceptor Study (HYDIS2) Consortium partners and a Linked Procurement Contract (Member State co-funding), launching the HYDIS2 conceptual phase for the development of Europe’s future hypersonic weapon interceptor system.

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The European Commission selected the HYDIS² project for funding in July 2023 and the governments of France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands decided to co-finance it. The program amounts to some €140 million, of which €80 million is co-financed by the European Defense Fund (EDF).

The HYpersonic Defence Interceptor Study (HYDIS) Program aims to investigate and define the concept of an endo-atmospheric interceptor capable of countering complex and rapidly growing threats, such as maneuverable ballistic missiles, hypersonic cruise missiles or hypersonic glide vehicles.

HYDIS2 will have a three-year duration and will involve the exploration of various interceptor concepts and the maturation of related critical technologies.

The fact that MBDA was already working on its AQUILA hypersonic weapon interceptor concept probably had a lot to do with the choice of OCCAR.

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Coordinated by MBDA, this new chapter will allow the partners to:

• collect and harmonize the definition of operational scenarios and weapon systems interface, taking into account the European and NATO roadmaps
• build a joint definition of each threat based on the knowledge and expertise of all the partners involved
• consolidate weapon system requirements and integration in the whole engagement chain
• select the most suitable counter-hypersonic and anti-ballistic concept of interceptor for European nations’ needs, with the associated weapon system architecture to prepare an Assessment Phase and aim at an in-service date at 2035 horizon
• mature the technologies that enable the implementation of the counter-hypersonic concept in the next programme phase
• create the industrial network to develop the future counter-hypersonic missile systems

The HYDIS² consortium brings together 19 partners and more than 20 subcontractors from 14 European countries. Along with MBDA in France, Germany, Italy and Spain (but not the UK branch), the partners are ArianeGroup, AVIO, Avio Aero, Bayern-Chemie, CIRA, DLR, GKN Fokker, LYNRED, OHB System AG, ONERA, ROXEL France, THALES LAS France, TDW, THALES Netherlands and TNO.