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France MBDA
VL MICA
A French vertically-launched short-range air-defense system adapting the air-launched MICA missile for ground and naval point defense. It offers a choice of infrared or active radar-guided rounds fired from the same launcher.
In service since 2000 · 6 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
20
km range
9,000
m altitude
6
targets
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
Established · 6 operators
In service since 2000. 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.
- 3 Mach Stronger than 34% of air-defense systems
- Engagement range
Maximum distance at which an air-defense system can intercept targets. Higher covers more airspace.
- 20 km Stronger than 25% of air-defense systems
- Engagement altitude
Maximum target altitude the system can reach.
- 9,000 m Stronger than 19% of air-defense systems
- Simultaneous targets
Number of targets the system can engage at once. Higher resists saturation attacks.
- 6 Stronger than 44% of air-defense systems
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- MICA IR / MICA EM interceptor missile
- Warhead
Warhead mass. Heavier generally means larger effect radius, at the cost of range.
- 12 kg Stronger than 23% of air-defense systems
- Warhead type
Blast-fragmentation, shaped charge (HEAT), penetrator, thermobaric or nuclear-capable.
- Fragmentation
- Guidance
How the weapon finds its target: inertial, GPS/GLONASS, active/semi-active radar, infrared, laser, TV, wire.
- Imaging infrared homing, Active radar homing
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Radar
Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.
- Ground/naval surveillance radar (installation-dependent)
- Datalink
Network connectivity: Link 16, MADL, national datalinks. Enables cooperative engagement.
- Fire-control datalink
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 6 Stronger than 77% of air-defense systems
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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What is the engagement range of the MBDA VL MICA? +
The MBDA VL MICA has a maximum engagement range of 20 km.
What is the main armament of the MBDA VL MICA? +
The MBDA VL MICA's primary weapon is the MICA IR / MICA EM interceptor missile.
What is the MBDA VL MICA used for? +
The MBDA VL MICA is a air defense system typically used for air defense.
How many countries operate the MBDA VL MICA? +
The MBDA VL MICA is operated by 6 countries.
How much does the MBDA VL MICA cost? +
MBDA VL MICA: Unit cost not publicly disclosed. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
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