Hoplite – 2013

Reshaping surface combat

For the HOPLITE Concept Vision, MBDA’s European workforce was challenged to suggest concepts and technologies for weapon systems that could give future surface forces the organic capability of delivering precision effects at range.

At the Paris Air Show 2013, MBDA presented CVS302 HOPLITE, designed to supply an Indirect Precision Attack capability for land and naval artillery in 2035 and beyond.

 A true step change in indirect precision effects at range

The HOPLITE system consists of a mission control system, and two missile variants, HOPLITE-S and HOPLITE- L. Both of which can fly 70km in under two minutes at low altitude or up to 160km at high altitude in under four minutes when the way is clear. The system is able to quickly and safely traverse contested airspaces, and closely coordinate salvo firings to provide an exceptional fire support capability to the front line. HOPLITE’s one shot one kill precision simplifies operations while reducing collateral damage risk and mission cost.

An organic fire support for land and sea forces

HOPLITE’s mission control guides the operator who maintains executive control. Planning times are vastly reduced by automating the trajectory planning and collateral damage risk modelling. Optimised mission solutions differing in priorities such as time to target or survivability are provided to the commanding officer. These features enable firings that would otherwise be impossible, while removing the need to clear an air corridor and reducing the risk of exposing the launch position. All processing takes place on a tablet sized computer generally located with the artillery or warship’s command and control but it can also be with a single launcher. By being platform agnostic the system will adapt to a wide range of operational needs.