Back بيرسيوس (صاروخ) Arabic Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon Czech Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon German Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon Spanish Futur missile antinavire/Futur missile de croisière French Futuro missile antinave/Futuro missile da crociera Italian Senjata Anti Kapal/Krus Masa Depan Malay Персей (ракета) Russian
| Future Cruise / Anti-Ship Weapon(s) | |
|---|---|
| Type | Cruise missile(s) |
| Place of origin | France Italy United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | Expected 2028 (land-attack variant) and 2034 (anti-ship variant) |
| Used by | French Navy French Air Force Italian Air Force Italian Navy Royal Air Force Royal Navy |
| Production history | |
| Designer | MBDA |
The FC/ASW ("Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon"), FMAN/FMC ("Futur missile anti-navire/Futur missile de croisière" in French), FOSW ("Future Offensive Surface Weapon") or SPEAR 5 is a next generation missile programme launched by France and the United Kingdom in 2017 to succeed their jointly-developed Storm Shadow/SCALP as well as their respective Exocet and Harpoon anti-ship missiles.[1][2][3][4] Equally funded by both countries, the project is led by European missile manufacturer MBDA and is a product of the close defence relationship set out between both nations by the Lancaster House treaties.[5] In June 2023, it was announced Italy would join the programme and began allocating funding in November.[6][7]
In 2017, an agreement for the launch of a concept phase of the programme was signed between the two countries and, in March 2019, MBDA announced the key review of the programme was successfully completed in cooperation with the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) and the British Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S).[3]
On 18 February 2022, an agreement and associated contracts signed by the head of the DGA, his British counterpart and the CEO of MBDA confirmed the launch of the preparation works for the FC/ASW.[8][2]
As of 2022 the programme was examining two complimentary missile concepts: a low observable subsonic cruise missile and a supersonic highly manoeuvrable missile; with the apparent discontinuation of a hypersonic solution similar to the CVS401 Perseus which was an early hypersonic missile concept from MBDA developed with input from both France and the UK.[8]
The latest timeline for the programme is that the assessment phase will be completed in 2024 and would move to the manufacturing phase from 2025 till 2035.[7] There was also confirmation of two different, role-specific variants with the announcement that a deep-strike, land-attack variant would be delivered from 2028 and an anti-ship variant from 2034.[7]
- ^ "SPEAR Missile - Think Defence". www.thinkdefence.co.uk. 2022-11-06. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
- ^ a b Vavasseur, Xavier (February 18, 2022). "Future Cruise and Anti-Ship Weapon FC/ASW Program Reaches New Milestone".
- ^ a b Smaldore, Yannick (July 31, 2019). "Will the French-British FC/ASW Missile Program Survive a Hard Brexit ?".
- ^ "A guide to the Type 26 Frigate | Navy Lookout". www.navylookout.com. 2022-11-28. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
- ^ "France & UK Launch Next-Gen Missile Project with MBDA to Replace Harpoon/Scalp/Exocet by 2030". Navy Recognition. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
- ^ Vavasseur, Xavier (June 26, 2023). "Italy Joins France and the UK for FC/ASW Program".
- ^ a b c "Italy finally funds naval missile projects | Shephard". www.shephardmedia.com. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
- ^ a b "UK and France advance future cruise / anti-ship weapon project". MBDA.