According to information published by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), on June 17, 2025, a new outline agreement was signed with MBDA during the Paris Air Show 2025 to support and facilitate future procurement of the Akeron MP medium-range missile system. This framework establishes a centralized and flexible mechanism to streamline logistical support, maintenance operations, and acquisition processes for the fifth-generation guided missile without requiring immediate quantity commitments, ensuring NATO’s readiness for rapid deployment.
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French soldiers deploy the Akeron MP missile system during a field exercise, highlighting NATO’s growing integration of this advanced guided weapon under the new NSPA-MBDA support agreement (Picture source: MBDA)
The contract lays the groundwork for a broader integration of the Akeron MP into NATO member states’ arsenals. Developed by MBDA France, the Akeron MP is a multi-role, man-portable missile designed for anti-tank, anti-structure, and anti-personnel engagements. It offers advanced guidance with fire-and-forget as well as lock-on-before and lock-on-after-launch capabilities, and an effective range of up to 5 kilometers. The outline agreement encompasses critical sustainment services, including spare parts, technical maintenance, and operator training, reinforcing NATO’s logistical cohesion and long-term missile availability.
From a materials and technical design standpoint, the Akeron MP incorporates a solid-propellant two-phase rocket motor and a bi-mode seeker combining uncooled infrared and visible-light TV sensors. The missile’s structure and control fins are made from lightweight composite materials to maintain a system weight of approximately 15 kilograms within its tactical launch canister. The tripod-mounted firing post adds around 11 kilograms including power supply and support electronics. The seeker is mounted on a reversible axis to widen the field of view, enabling reliable target acquisition and engagement across varied terrains. Guidance is supported by an inertial measurement unit with optional GPS, while a fibre-optic link transmits real-time video, enabling mid-flight retargeting, programmable trajectories, and abort functionality. The tandem high-explosive anti-tank warhead can penetrate over 1,000 mm of rolled homogeneous armour behind explosive reactive armour or more than 2 meters of reinforced concrete. In anti-personnel mode, the missile disperses around 1,500 tungsten fragments over a lethal radius of 15 meters.
This initiative signifies a robust and deepening partnership between NATO and the European defense industry, highlighting the alliance’s strategic commitment to fostering innovation-driven procurement models. By leveraging MBDA’s cutting-edge missile technologies and proven industrial capabilities, NATO aims to ensure that member states have timely access to battle-proven systems tailored for current and future operational demands. NSPA General Manager Stacy Cummings emphasized the high operational value of MBDA’s Akeron MP and underscored the importance of industry-government collaboration in delivering ready-to-use, interoperable solutions that meet the complex logistics and sustainment needs of the alliance.
The outline agreement introduces a streamlined procurement architecture that enables NATO countries to place orders based on pre-negotiated contractual terms. This not only accelerates delivery timelines but also ensures greater transparency and cost predictability across multinational acquisitions. It reduces administrative overhead and empowers participating nations to align their procurement strategies with evolving mission profiles and threat environments. Furthermore, it serves as a scalable model that can be extended to other precision-guided munitions and complex weapon systems across NATO’s portfolio.
In continuous service with the French armed forces since 2018 and successfully fielded by several export partners, the Akeron MP has demonstrated its battlefield utility through its advanced fire control, network-enabled guidance, and versatile warhead configurations. The system’s ability to neutralize heavily armored threats, hardened structures, and infantry positions under a range of conditions has reinforced its reputation as a core asset for dismounted and mechanized units alike. With this agreement, NATO ensures that a unified sustainment and logistics framework is in place, supporting rapid integration, cross-border interoperability, and lifecycle readiness of the missile system.
This contract award represents a critical milestone in NATO’s broader force modernization and capability enhancement agenda. It not only enhances the alliance’s firepower and deterrence posture but also affirms the strategic role of European industry in equipping NATO with advanced weaponry tailored for the multi-domain battlespace. The Akeron MP stands as a key enabler of lethality, survivability, and operational flexibility in the face of peer-level threats and hybrid warfare challenges.