Successful coordinated firing tests of MBDA Akeron MP anti-tank missiles for European Defense Industry Development Programme LYNKEUS project.

On September 29, the demonstration firings of the LYNKEUS project took place in Cyprus. This project is part of the first wave of the EDIDP (European Defense Industry Development Programme). These shots consisted of two shots beyond direct sight of surface-to-surface anti-tank missiles at targets located between 2,500 and 3,000 meters in an autonomous configuration (the drone was operated from the firing vehicle) as well as in a configuration collaborative (the drone was operated by another vehicle). These shots were successful.
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MBDA Akeron MP anti-tank missile, formerly designated MMP (Missile Moyenne Portée, Medium Range Missile) (Picture source: Army Recognition)

The LYNKEUS project is led by eleven industrialists coordinated by MBDA and is supported by three States: France, Belgium and Cyprus. The manufacturers are:
• MBDA France, NOVADEM and SAFRAN Electronics & Defense for France
• The Cyprus Institute, ADDITES and SIGNALGENERIX LIMITED for Cyprus;
• FN Herstal, John Cockerill Defence, XENICS, THALES Belgium and the Royal Military School for Belgium.

LYNKEUS aims to allow the firing of an anti-tank missile (in this case MBDA's Akeron MP (formerly designated MMP), Medium Range Missile) beyond the direct view of the gunner with the aid of an observation drone (provided in the framework of the project by NOVADEM). This drone can be launched either from the vehicle carrying the missiles or from another vehicle (both configurations have been validated during demonstration firings).

This BLOS (Beyond Line Of Sight) firing capability represents a major advance in land combat, particularly in terms of collaborative combat, since it allows a vehicle, or even an allied unit, to help guide a missile towards a target not visible to the shooter while offering him better protection by reducing his exposure to direct enemy fire.

LYNKEUS will be extended by the MARSEUS project, selected for EDF 2021 (European Defense Fund - European Defense Fund, which succeeded EDIDP in 2021). MARSEUS for its part will make it possible to set up the means of training, to integrate into a battlefield management system (system of management of the battlefield) and to adapt to a missile system of longer range. Led in close partnership with the French, Belgian, Cypriot and now also Swedish armed forces, MARSEUS, capitalizing on the achievements of LYNKEUS, aims to consolidate a European operational concept around the capability of missiles for contact combat and collaborative combat.