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AKERON

AKERON is a unique family of fifth-generation tactical combat missiles. This family includes the MMP and MHT missiles, remaned AKERON MP and AKERON LP respectively. With AKERON, MBDA is investing in a family of missiles to meet current and future operational needs, both for dismounted combat and from land, aeronautical or even naval platforms.

The Akeron LP was designed for longer ranges. France will also incorporate it into its Scorpion program, which aims to fully replace the Army’s ground vehicles, tanks, attack helicopters, and various sensors and weapons by 2040.

With AKERON, MBDA is now offering a family of missiles that can adapt to the needs of collaborative tactical combat. AKERON LP is a most advanced 5th generation long range multi-role guided missile in development today, with high level technologies in term of optronics, warhead, RF data link, guidance and image processing algorithms based on Artificial Intelligence principles and data fusion.

Today’s combat units operate in a variety of complex environments. These can be urban areas, open countryside, deserts or mountains, during the day or at night; and can also feature a combination and/or variety of forces, both allied and adversary. To respond to the wide range of threats they face, operators must be equipped with a versatile and precise capability enabling them to destroy fixed or mobile land targets – including the latest-generation tanks and light combat vehicles – but also neutralize dismounted adversaries or adversaries in hardened or defensive fighting positions. All whilst minimizing the risk of collateral damage. Operators also need to be protected during engagements with simplicity of implementation, the capacity to "fire and forget" or engage a target while remaining hidden from sight.

Designed for these operational realities, the AKERON family of missiles incorporates the latest technologies in terms of high-resolution multi-band imagers, multi-effect warheads (anti-tank, antiinfrastructure, anti-personnel), data links, and multi-mode guidance algorithms based on AI techniques. All ensuring robust and precise guidance at any distance, in all conditions. Each has their own specifications in order to be perfectly adapted to the missions of the combat units and platforms using them.

Operators thus have the broadest spectrum of tactical options to deal with their targets, thanks to the many possible modes of engagement. These include ‘fire and forget’, human-in-the-loop, locking the target before firing (LOBL), or locking on after firing (LOAL), which facilitates firing beyond line of sight (BLOS).

The missiles of the AKERON family meet current and future operational needs for dismounted combat as well as from land, air (helicopter, UAV) and even naval platforms. They are also ideal for integration into the digital environment of the battlefield, and suited for collaborative combat.

MBDA’s AKERON MP missile was fired in December 2022 from the BAE Systems Hägglunds CV90 infantry combat vehicle at a test range in Northern Sweden, in the presence of representatives of the Swedish Armed Forces. AKERON is a unique family of fifth-generation tactical combat missiles incorporating the latest technologies in terms of high-resolution multi-band imagers, multi-effect warheads (anti-tank, anti-infrastructure, anti-personnel), data-links, and multi-mode guidance algorithms based on AI techniques. CV90 is a highly capable modern infantry fighting vehicle featuring an advanced integrated combat system linked to wider battlefield management systems.

The combination of AKERON MP/LYNKEUS and the CV90 combat system offers a unique capability for target engagement in complex environments (forested, urban etc.) through the combination of either immediate target locking of AKERON in lock-on before launch (LOBL) mode, or target acquisition in-flight in lock-on after launch (LOAL) mode, all this made possible by the information provided to the crew by the CV90 combat system. This ability of AKERON to engage tanks at ranges of 4km, with the option for collaborative combat through the CV90 combat system with a LYNKEUS integrated micro-UAV for scouting is unique.

The firing conditions for the trial were set to highlight the complementarity of the CV90 advanced combat system with the unique capability of AKERON MP / LYNKEUS, and with regards to winter combat conditions in the Nordic country; with a successful lock-on before launch (LOBL) in TV band.