MMP ground combat missile in series production

PARIS, June 14 (UPI) -- Europe's MBDA has started initial series production of its MMP land combat missile for the French military, the company said Tuesday.

The MMP, or Missile Moyenne Portée, is a medium-range weapon that is to replace the French army's Milan and Javelin anti-tank missiles from 2017.

MBDA said 2,850 are to be produced for France.

It is a "fire-and-forget" missile with a a range of more than 4,700 yards. It features a dual-mode seeker and a fiber-optic data link, making it possible to maintain man-in-the-loop control, and the system can be integrated into vehicles.

"This capability gives it unmatched accuracy and minimizes the risk of collateral damage," MBDA said. "The missile's multi-purpose military charge [anti-tank, anti-personnel and anti-infrastructure] can defeat targets ranging from heavy tanks with reactive armor to infantry entrenched in an infrastructure and can be integrated on four different platforms."

The program for development of the MMP began in 2011.