The governments of the United Kingdom and France have agreed on a number of decisions regarding long-range weapons and the activities of the MBDA missile conglomerate. These decisions include orders for upgraded versions of the Storm Shadow / SCALP cruise missile, modernization of production facilities, and the development of next-generation replacements for these and other missile systems.
According to the British government, all this is a consequence of the Trinity House defense agreement, which was signed on October 23, 2024. It provides for strengthening joint efforts in the field of long-range capabilities to repel russian aggression.
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Accordingly, the initial step in this area was to order a new batch of Storm Shadow / SCALP cruise missiles. This decision, as noted, concerns both the United Kingdom and France. So far, the new order has been confirmed only by French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu. It will be the first for France in 15 years.
Furthermore, the British government's announcement states that the new Storm Shadow / SCALP missiles will be more powerful, without providing further details. In order to accelerate their production, MBDA's facilities will be modernized and expanded, creating an additional 300 jobs.
It has also been agreed to create a replacement for Storm Shadow / SCALP, which has been in service since 2003. This should be a new long-range missile with anti-ship capabilities. This may refer to the TP15 long-range cruise missile and/or the high-speed RJ10, which MBDA has already showcased at the Paris Air Show.
The development of a new beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missile has also been agreed. It will be designed for both medium- and long-range engagements. At present, MBDA's capabilities in this segment are represented by the long-range Meteor, while MICA NG remains the only significant ongoing development.
In addition to missiles, there is also talk of work on "new advanced weapons that will ensure superiority over opponents." As noted, this could be a microwave weapon to destroy threats such as drones and missiles. It is worth recalling that the British are actively developing just such a microwave drone burner - the RFDEW (Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon) system under the Ealing project.
Ultimately, London and Paris decided to remind Moscow that they also possess nuclear weapons. Now, "the deterrents of both countries are independent but can be coordinated, and there is no extreme threat to Europe that would not provoke a response from both countries."
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