MBDA has awarded two contracts to Sagem for production and supply of seeker and firing-posts optronics for its Missile Moyenne Portee (MMP) medium-range missile.
Under the first tranche of the contract, which was awarded during the ongoing Eurosatory 2014 exhibition in France, the company will produce more than 1,500 twin-mode seekers for the missile and 225 optronic control units for the firing-posts.
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Jointly developed by Sagem and MBDA, the MMP seeker provides target acquisition and tracking through an uncooled infrared channel or a visible wavelength channel, and also features an inertial reference unit (IRU) that delivers information to both the seeker and the missile for navigation and flight control.
Equipped with a high-definition twin-field infrared sensor, a daytime video channel, GPS receiver, magnetic compass and, on option, a laser rangefinder, the optronic control unit provides images to the gunner from both the cameras in the firing-post and the missile’s seeker.
The optronic and guidance units are expected to augment the missile’s flexibility for an array of operating modes, such as fire and forget, re-assignment of the missile in flight, using the ‘man in the loop’ mode, and seeker lock-on after launch, among others.
The optronic units and the seekers are scheduled to be manufactured by Sagem’s Poitiers plant, whereas its Montlucon facility will be responsible for the production of inertial components.
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By GlobalDataDeliveries under the contract, whose value remains undisclosed, are scheduled to commence in 2016.
The next-generation surface attack missile system, MMP is designed to destruct both stationary and moving ground targets, including tanks, armoured and non-armoured vehicles with minimum collateral damage, and will replace the French army’s Milan anti-tank missiles.
Meanwhile, the company also received a contract from MBDA to supply Sigma 20 navigation systems for installation onboard multipurpose combat vehicles (MPCV), intended for the export market.
Image: MMP missile is designed to destruct both stationary and moving ground targets in theatre. Photo: © MBDA – Isabelle Chapuis.
