Italy formalized its desire to join France and the United Kingdom in the development of next-generation stealth and supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles by signing a Letter of Intent (LOI) during the Paris Air Show 2023, allowing the launch of key preparatory work for Italy’s accession to the program.
🇮🇹 Italy plans to join FC/ASW program, joining forces with France and the UK. Advanced deep strike and anti-ship #capabilities for enhanced defence against evolving threats.
Major milestone in European defence cooperation.
Learn more: https://t.co/CqUX1G8jwU pic.twitter.com/OT8si4wYmC— MBDA (@MBDAGroup) June 27, 2023
The LOI was signed by representatives of the three National Armaments Directorates. The signatories were Lieutenant General Luciano Portolano, Secretary General of Defense and National Armament Director of Italy, Andy Start, National Armament Director of the United Kingdom and CEO of DE&S, and Emmanuel Chiva, Chief Executive of the Direction générale de l’armement.
MBDA states in its press release that «participation in the FC/ASW program will provide the three nations with a sovereign, next-generation deep strike and heavy anti-ship capability to meet advanced threats. The program will support the three countries’ strategic cooperation in missile technologies through MBDA as a champion of integrated European defense.»
Eric Beranger, CEO of MBDA said, “We are delighted with Italy’s intent to join the FC/ASW programme. Befitting our role as a champion of European defence co-operation – sharing technologies, capabilities, and expertise among our countries –we are pleased that this LoI opens the door for our Italian expertise to also be brought to bear in delivering this truly strategic defence capability for Europe. FC/ASW will meet the operational needs of the Italian, British and French armed forces in the deep strike and anti-ship domains for the decades to come.”
The FC/ASW programme began as a product of the Anglo-French defence relationship set out by the Lancaster House treaties. Last year France’s Direction générale de l’armement (DGA) and the UK’s Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) signed a government agreement and associated contracts that saw the launch of the preparation works/assessment phase for FC/ASW.
FC/ASW Program
FC/ASW stands for Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon (or FMAN/FMC for futur missile anti-navire/futur missile de croisière in French). These are two distinct types of missiles, intended to replace the deep strike capabilities offered by SCALP and Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles and the surface warfare capabilities embodied in the Exocet, OTOMAT and Harpoon, currently in use on French and UK aircraft and ships.
ASW, the supersonic anti-ship missile
The future anti-ship missile will be able to maintain supersonic speeds and will be 5 meters long and approximately 1,000 kg in weight, and can be launched by the naval and land-based delivery vehicles that currently employ the Exocet and Harpoon, as well as being transported and launched from the internal weapons bays of European next-generation fighters, the GCAP and FCAS.
In addition to its missions against naval targets, this missile will be able to attack ground structures or vehicles, air defense systems and even high-value aircraft, such as early warning and control (AEW&C) or tanker aircraft, at long ranges.
FC, stealth cruise missile
If the previous concept seeks to defeat enemy defenses through high speed, this missile will base its penetration strategy on stealth. The future cruise missile to replace the current Storm Shadow and Scalp will be a very low radar signature weapon. With dimensions and weights similar to the supersonic concept, the new subsonic missile will have an even longer range and will be designed to attack high-value ground targets, fixed or mobile, as well as hardened and/or buried infrastructure, such as well-defended bunkers.
