Spanish Defense to invest EUR 330Mn in purchasing MBDA Mistral 3 air defense systems.

According to InfoDefensa on May 8, the Spanish Ministry of Defense will launch a program with a budget of 330 million EUR for the purchase of Mistral 3 missiles, an anti-aircraft system manufactured by the European consortium MBDA, and the modernization of firing stations already in service in the armed forces.
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The Spanish Ministry of Defense will launch a program with a budget of 330 million EUR for the purchase of MBDA Mistral 3 air defense missile systems and the modernization of firing stations already in service in the armed forces (Picture source: Spanish MoD)

The program was approved by the Spanish Government in the Council of Ministers on April 18, along with six other contracts to modernize capabilities for the Santiago electronic warfare program, acquire RPAS (drones) or purchase flight simulators. In this project, the Defense envisages the supply of new Mistral 3 missiles to meet the needs of the armed forces and material associated with this system, the modernization of firing stations, as well as specific training courses for user personnel.

Going into detail, official sources explain to InfoDefensa that In addition to the purchase of missiles (their number is not specified), the program includes the acquisition of 27 missile training equipment (ATPS), reload for 16 batteries, two ammunition test equipment, spare parts and associated technical documentation.

MBDA Mistral 3 is the latest variant in the Mistral family of short-range, air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles, which has been in service with many countries since the 1980s. It is designed to be highly mobile and versatile, with the ability to engage a wide range of targets, including helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and ground targets such as armored vehicles and small boats. It has a range of up to 6 km and can reach a maximum altitude of 3.5 km.

The missile has a high level of maneuverability, thanks to its advanced guidance system, which includes an infrared (IR) seeker and digital signal processing technology. It can also perform evasive maneuvers to avoid countermeasures and has a high resistance to electronic countermeasures.

The Mistral 3 missile is launched from a variety of platforms, including ground-based launchers, naval vessels, and vehicle-mounted launchers. It is equipped with a blast fragmentation warhead that is designed to provide a high level of lethality against its targets.

Defense News May 2023