From Monday 17th until Friday 21st February 2025, MBDA is attending The International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) and Naval Defence & Maritime Security Exhibition (NAVDEX) at Abu Dhabi. This event is a global platform for showcasing cutting-edge defence technologies and fostering collaboration among international defence entities.
MBDA is showcasing some of its main high performing and combat proven products, demonstrating innovation and advanced military capabilities. As a technological and industrial reference, MBDA is a trustful partner through several local cooperation with the UAE’s defence industry aiming to expand a strong and sustainable footprint in the region, including local development and future production means.
In the Land Domain, MBDA is showcasing an innovative diamond-shaped loitering munition developed in partnership with FLY-R company and designed to be remotely-controlled for precision strikes on critical targets. Powered by an electric motor and featuring a unique rhomboid wing design, it dramatically enhances maneuverability, speed and stealth to engage both stationary and moving targets.
This new addition to MBDA's arsenal represents a strategic entry into the loitering munition market, an area of growing international demand.
In the Air Defence Domain, MBDA is presenting Vertical Launched (VL) MICA NG, a land-based application of the MICA air-to-air missile.
With autonomous guidance and a very short reaction time, VL MICA missiles can intercept a wide variety of low-altitude and low-signature targets: airplanes, missiles, drones, smart bombs and helicopters. Easy to deploy, they are endowed with highly advanced technologies.
VL MICA is also part of the multirange/multilayer ASTER SAMP/T NG system and has been operated by the French Air force to be part of the special aviation security system (DPSA) set up for the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.
In the Air Domain, MBDA is showcasing, alongside the SMARTGLIDER, the SMART CRUISER; a key weapon for stand-off SEAD DEAD mission among other missions. SMART Weapons family will be the cornerstone for the development of collaborative engagement with different effectors, including Remote Carriers. SMART CRUISER and AI algorithms will leverage widely the efficiency of effectors’ packs, enabling real time mission reconfiguration of the pack during the mission and accurate target identification.
Developed in partnership with the UAE at the MBDA Missile Engineering Centre based in Abu Dhabi, the SMART Weapons development is a key pillar of the strong cooperation between MBDA and the EAU’s defence industry.
In the Maritime Domain, MBDA is showcasing one of its most emblematic product family: the EXOCET, in service with several navies around the world, and notably the EXOCET MM40 B3C.
EXOCET MM40 is moving to the next generation to meet our customers’ requirement for high-intensity warfare, including a new state-of-the-art seeker and enhanced missile algorithms of the B3C version.
Consistently staying at the forefront of innovation, EXOCET remains the Navies’ life insurance at sea, whenever, wherever and in any weather conditions.
In the Air Defence Domain, MBDA presents one of its new product: SEA WARDEN.
SEA WARDEN is a naval-based defence system against unmanned aerial and surface threats, based on our flagship SKY WARDEN - a ground-based counter-UAV product, recently deployed successfully in an operational demonstration.
SEA WARDEN provides a cost-effective, proportionate defensive system which is optimized for the naval environment and leverages MBDA’s expertise in the counter-UAV domain.
Integrating different sensors and effectors such as the Diamond Shaped loitering munition (see above), SEA WARDEN is the only battle-ready system to manage the full counter-UAV (C-UAV) counter-USV (C-USV) kill chain.
As for Ground Based Air Defense, MBDA also showcases the new naval version of the VL MICA NG and the latest evolution of the ASTER 30 missiles family. ASTER 30 missiles have been successfully deployed in Red Sea operations against a large range of targets including ballistic missiles.