AKERON RCH170

A New Loitering Munition Completing the AKERON Family

AKERON is a unique family of fifth-generation tactical combat systems, designed to conquer the intricacies of modern collaborative operations. AKERON MP and AKERON LP missiles provide highly adaptable, multi-role beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) capabilities across land, air and naval domains.

Expanding beyond missiles, the family now integrates loitering munitions: AKERON RCX50 and the future AKERON RCH170. These systems combine surveillance with strike capability, offering operators continuous situational awareness and the ability to engage at the optimal moment.

The AKERON concept is built around man-on-the-loop control, ensuring decision superiority, hit accuracy, last-second abort capability, and minimised collateral damage, while maintaining the highest levels of operator safety.

Extended-Range Engagement Beyond Line of Sight

The AKERON RCH170 is a loitering munition designed for rapid deployment, capable of supporting forces at ranges of up to 80 kilometres, with more than an hour of endurance. It delivers both reconnaissance and precision strike capabilities, including against heavily armoured targets thanks to an interchangeable warhead. Integrating proven jamming-resistant datalink technology, it can operate in EW contested environments, ensuring precision strikes on target in high intensity scenarios.

AKERON RCH170 is developed through the combined expertise of MBDA in guidance and weapon systems, Delair in advanced drone systems and KNDS Ammo France for warhead technology. The combination of these three areas of expertise leads to a capability able to conduct BLOS missions, support collaborative engagement modes, including swarm coordination, and high operational flexibility in complex environments.

The AKERON RCH170 directly stems from French Defence Innovation Agency contract LARINAE, building on the MUTANT XL demonstrator which conducted a successful firing in 2025.

Upcoming developments will further enhance the system through the integration of AI, strengthening autonomy, target recognition, continuous improvement of the resilient navigation and mission efficiency in contested environments.

A Solution Demonstrating MBDA’s Agility to Address Evolving Operational Needs

Recent conflicts have underscored the growing need for both mass and responsiveness, alongside advanced solutions. Loitering munitions respond directly to these demands by combining ease of deployment, operational flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. The AKERON RCH170 illustrates MBDA’s ability to extend its battlefield portfolio for an improved effect management capability and to develop products able to rapidly  evolve in fast changing environments.

These munitions enable the neutralisation of targets in constrained or denied environments, as well as the saturation of adversary defences. By delivering scalable, high-performance solutions, MBDA supports armed forces in maintaining technological superiority while ensuring strategic autonomy.

Through the AKERON family, MBDA demonstrates its commitment to innovation, providing sovereign capabilities aligned with the realities of current and future battlefields.