MBDA’s Mistral 3 air-to-air missile has been successfully integrated into the French Armed Forces’ Tigre Mk2 helicopter, boosting its capabilities for engaging drone threats.
Building on the chopper’s existing Mistral 2 firing system, the company introduced software and technical upgrades that enabled the helicopter to carry and fire the Mistral 3, which comes with an imaging infrared seeker, enhanced resistance to decoys, and an extended range of up to 5 miles (8 kilometers).
The integration and subsequent live-fire demonstration were carried out by MBDA, in collaboration with the French defense procurement agency and the French Armed Forces, reportedly making delivery under tight time constraints.
Mistral Missile
The 1.88-meter (6-feet 2 inches) fire-and-forget missile carries a 3-kilogram (6.6 pounds) warhead, traveling at a speed of 930 meters per second (2,080 miles per hour).
The Mistral provides defense against a wide range of low-flying aircraft with an interception range of 500 meters (1,640 feet) to 8,000 meters (26,246 feet) at altitudes up to 6,000 meters (19,685 feet).
Apart from aircraft, the missile can also be deployed from ground and naval platforms.
Tigre Mk2
The Tigre Mk2 is a modernized, twin-engine reconnaissance and attack helicopter manufactured by Airbus Helicopters.
It features a jam-resistant GPS, IFF mode 5 for interoperability, and improved ballistic protection over earlier variants.
The chopper’s weapons suite includes a 30 mm Nexter (GIAT) M781 cannon, Hellfire missiles, Mistral missiles, and 68mm rockets.
