The French DGA (Direction Générale d’Armement) has successfully carried out the final qualification firing of the MdCN system (Missile de Croisière Naval, also known as NCM or Naval Cruise Missile).
The firing, which took place on 27th October 2014 at the DGA’s “Missile Test Centre” at Biscarrosse (Landes) on France’s Atlantic coast, represented a missile launch from a frigate.
The firing enabled the full scope of flight objectives to be satisfied, particularly regarding the demonstration of the missile’s range performance. This success comes as a result of the intense and coordinated efforts of a number of state participants (notably the DGA’s test and evaluation centres and the French Navy) as well as industry (MBDA France).
MdCN will equip the French Navy’s FREMM (multi-mission frigates) during 2015 and its Barracuda submarines in around 2018.
Featuring a range of several hundred kilometers, MdCN has been devised for striking targets deep within enemy territory. It complements the air-launched cruise missile, Storm Shadow/SCALP, from which it is derived.
Carried on surface warships positioned safely for prolonged periods in international waters, overtly (frigates) or discretely (submarines), MdCN has been designed for operations calling for the destruction of high value, strategic infrastructures.
MBDA was awarded the MdCN contract by the DGA in 2006.
