TSAMTO, February 26. On February 23, the European MBDA Group announced the signing of a contract with the Egyptian Navy command for the supply of VL MICA NG (new generation) anti-aircraft missile systems to equip the Egyptian Navy corvettes.
MBDA officially presented the VL MICA NG anti-aircraft missile system for the first time at the Euronaval-Online exhibition in October 2020. The system is based on the integration into the previously developed VL MICA complex of the MICA NG anti-aircraft guided missile, the development of which began in 2018.
Thanks to technological innovations, the VL MICA NG will provide improved capabilities to combat "atypical" targets (UAVs, small aircraft), as well as promising threats characterized by an increasingly low infrared and radio frequency signature. In addition, the missile will be able to intercept "conventional" targets (aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles and anti-ship missiles) at long distances.
Thanks to the use of new technologies, the MICA NG rocket was developed in the same dimensions, with similar aerodynamics and alignment, as the MICA in service. Like the existing MICA, the new MICA NG will come in two versions - with a passive infrared or radio frequency homing head, which allows the operator to choose the most effective option for intercepting the target.
Since the dimensions of the MICA NG munition have not been changed, the missile can be used on existing VL MICA launchers. To upgrade the previously delivered VL MICA air defense systems to the VL MICA NG standard, you simply need to update the software.
In the surface-to-air version, the MICA NG will be able to intercept targets at a distance of more than 40 km. Maintenance costs will be significantly reduced thanks to integrated sensors that monitor the condition of the munition throughout its life cycle. As planned, the MICA NG rocket will enter mass production from 2026.
According to TSAMTO experts, the VL MICA NG SAMs will be installed on board four new Meko A200-class frigates purchased for the Egyptian Navy in Germany. Initially, it was assumed that they would be armed with the Umkhonto SAM of the South African company Denel Dynamics, but the delivery deal fell through due to the inability of the South African company, which is in a difficult financial situation, to provide the necessary bank guarantees.
As a result, in September 2020, the first reports appeared about the intention of the Egyptian Navy to replace the Umkhonto complexes with the VL MICA of the MBDA group, which are already installed on the Govind-class frigates. Such unification of weapons systems will only be beneficial for the Egyptian side. The full compatibility of the two generations of missiles will allow their combination to be used to increase the effectiveness of intercepting targets and reduce the cost of purchasing air defense systems.
