Land Cruise Missile (LCM) scale model on MBDA stand at Eurosatory 2024.

MBDA Unveils Land Cruise Missile – LCM – System For Deep Precision Strike

MBDA unveils the Land Cruise Missile (LCM) system, a new ground-launched Deep Precision Strike capability, to meet the needs of the new strategic environment on the battlefield.

MBDA press release

The Land Cruise Missile (LCM) builds on all of MBDA’s expertise in the field of Deep Precision Strike and is based on the combat-proven Naval Cruise Missile (NCM) in-service on French Navy frigates and attack submarines.

The LCM system constitutes a unique European sovereign solution for a deep strike ground-launched cruise missile system, designed, produced, and assembled in Europe. Customers operating NCM missiles and LCM systems will belong to an exclusive club of countries possessing very long-range Deep Precision Strike capability from below and from the surface of the sea as well as from the ground.

“The Land Cruise Missile system complements MBDA’s comprehensive portfolio of decisive European sovereign solutions. Building on the track-record of the Naval Cruise Missile, MBDA demonstrates its ability to cover the full spectrum of operational requirements for our customers while generating synergies across our deep strike portfolio to ensure battle-readiness.”
Eric Béranger, CEO of MBDA

The LCM system will offer the same unique capabilities as the NCM, including metric precision at very long range; high survivability when penetrating through enemy-integrated air defense systems thanks to reduced radar cross section & terrain-following capability; and high lethality against targets. It will also allow highly accurate synchronized time-on-target (STOT) capability as already demonstrated by the simultaneous NCM strike from a frigate and a submersed submarine, performed by the French Navy with the support of DGA in April 2024. The LCM brings the capability to inflect aggressive behaviors from peer adversaries by imposing a permanent and immediate threat against enemy high-value assets.

With the LCM concept of operation, MBDA will offer a comprehensive integrated system including the mission planning suite and ground launchers mounted on dedicated land platforms offering flexibility, survivability, and reactivity to ground forces in high-intensity contexts.

-End-

comments:

MBDA’s LCM could become a European equivalent to the Mid-Range Capability / Typhon system (based on the Tomahawk cruise missile) under development in the United States to fullfil a similar role: Deep precision strike. It is currently being tested and field with both the US Army and US Marine Corps.