The European OCCAR (Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation) as Contracting Authority, representing the government of France, has agreed a contract with MBDA France for the development, production and initial in-service support phases of the MAST-F (Missile Air-Surface Tactique Futur) missile programme. Development and Production is expected to run for 10 years with In-Service support activities starting in 2027. The contract was awarded to MBDA France as Prime Contractor.
The MAST-F is a weapon system for the MKIII version of the TIGER helicopter capable of neutralizing Main Battle Tanks, infrastructure and combat groups with high precision and limited collateral damage. It is designed to provide combat units with a versatile and precise attack capability.
MBDA proposed its Missile Haut de Trame/Missile Longue Portée for the MASST-F requirement. It will be developed from the technological baseline employed on French MMP (Missile Moyenne Portée).
The MAST-F will equip the French Army’s Mk III standard upgrade Airbus Helicopters EC665 Tigre/Tiger Mk3 standard attack helicopters, work on which is currently scheduled to begin in the 2023 timeframe, and replace the in-service Lockheed Martin AGM-114K1A/114N1A Hellfire II missile as the main guided air-to-surface weapon system on the French Tiger HAD (Hélicoptère d’Appui Destruction).
The French government’s decision derives, initially, from the outcome of a EUR1.657 million (USD2 million) study contract awarded to MBDA in October 2017 for a consolidated evaluation of three MBDA air-to-surface missile concept options – MHT/MLP, the European Modular Missile-Heavy (EMM-H), and Brimstone 3 – to demonstrate, through analyses and simulation, the performance parameters of each weapon concept against the operational requirements of the French Army.
