Overview
- Ariane Group publicly outlined its MBT concept ahead of the Munich Security Conference, describing one‑ or two‑stage solid‑fuel missiles with selectable ranges of roughly 1,000, 2,000 or 3,000 kilometers and options for a conventional warhead or a hypersonic glider.
- The company says it is in discussions with France’s defense ministry and procurement agency and has held preliminary talks with other European governments, including a proposal that could allow production in Germany.
- No procurement decision or cost estimate has been disclosed, and the firm cautions that several years would be needed from any government green light to operational readiness.
- The offer lands as NATO’s ELSA initiative advances long‑range strike planning, MBDA develops new concepts, the startup Hypersonica reports a privately funded hypersonic test in Norway, and the United States plans temporary deployments of Tomahawk, SM‑6 and Dark Eagle systems in Germany this year.
- Ariane Group, a joint venture of Airbus and Safran known for Ariane launchers and work on France’s strategic missiles, positions MBT as a conventionally armed ballistic system capable of reaching targets over 1,000 kilometers within minutes.