France MBDA
Mistral 3
A French man-portable and vehicle/naval-mounted infrared-homing short-range air-defense missile, with the Mistral 3 upgrade adding an improved imaging seeker for better counter-UAV and counter-countermeasure performance. It equips French forces and numerous export navies and armies in shoulder-fired, vehicle and shipborne launchers.
In service since 2019 · 30 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
7
km range
2.6
Mach
3
kg warhead
Pricing: Unit cost not publicly disclosed
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
French export-licensed
CIEEMG inter-ministerial approval; broadly export-oriented.
Channel: DGA / direct commercial
Fielded & proven
Widely fielded · 30 operators
In service since 2019. Status: active.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed (Mach)
Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.
- 2.6 Mach Stronger than 53% of missiles
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 7 km Stronger than 11% of missiles
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Warhead
Warhead mass. Heavier generally means larger effect radius, at the cost of range.
- 3 kg Bottom 6% of missiles
- Warhead type
Blast-fragmentation, shaped charge (HEAT), penetrator, thermobaric or nuclear-capable.
- Blast-fragmentation, laser proximity fuze
- Guidance
How the weapon finds its target: inertial, GPS/GLONASS, active/semi-active radar, infrared, laser, TV, wire.
- Imaging infrared homing
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 1.86 m
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 20 kg
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Solid-fuel rocket
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 30 Stronger than 89% of missiles
Specifications compiled from public MBDA and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire Frequently asked questions
What is the range of the MBDA Mistral 3? +
The MBDA Mistral 3 has a maximum range of 7 km.
How much does the MBDA Mistral 3 weigh? +
The MBDA Mistral 3 has a combat weight of 20 kg.
What is the MBDA Mistral 3 used for? +
The MBDA Mistral 3 is a missile typically used for air defense.
How many countries operate the MBDA Mistral 3? +
The MBDA Mistral 3 is operated by 30 countries.
How much does the MBDA Mistral 3 cost? +
MBDA Mistral 3: Unit cost not publicly disclosed. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
