MBDA has introduced the One-Way Effector as a platform designed for mass deployment to meet the challenges of high-intensity warfare.
According to the company, if sufficient orders are placed, MBDA plans to manufacture 1,000 of these long-range strike systems per month. To accomplish this, it is considering involving one of France’s automotive manufacturers.
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This high production rate is feasible because the One-Way Effector is not a conventional cruise missile. It is more accurately described as a jet-powered loitering munition. The system resembles a missile-drone with a wingspan of approximately 3 meters, a flight range of up to 500 kilometers, a speed of around 400 kilometers per hour, and a warhead weighing about 40 kilograms.
The guidance system is based on satellite navigation, and the munition is launched from a rail. These specifications were announced at the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, which officially opened on May 16 amid some controversy.
Development of the One-Way Effector has reportedly been underway as a private initiative since late 2024. MBDA describes it as a compromise between cost, mass production, and performance to meet the demands placed on modern armed forces in large-scale warfare. The system is also tailored specifically for attritional warfare, incorporating lessons learned from the ongoing russo-Ukrainian war.
“The One-Way Effector is intended to deplete enemy resources by applying constant pressure on air defense systems with a warhead large enough to force interception,” the company stated. “At the same time, it is designed to expose even the most advanced air defense systems, making them easier to detect and destroy when used in combination with other long-range strike assets.”
Testing is scheduled to begin in autumn 2025, with the first production batch expected in 2027. Achieving the planned output of 1,000 units per month will depend entirely on receiving enough orders and establishing cooperation with an undisclosed automotive company, presumably one capable of providing modern robotic production lines.
Defense Express notes that producing 1,000 units per month would mean around 33 jet-powered Shaheds per day, at some point in the future. In contrast, russia is already manufacturing 90 to 100 conventional Shaheds daily and is continuing to increase output. This comparison underscores the urgency of the issue. Mass production of such systems is not a long-term goal to be celebrated in a few years, but a basic requirement that must be met now.
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