Sweden Selects Akeron MP Anti-Tank Guided Missile
France and Sweden are set to further their partnership around MBDA’s Akeron MP anti-tank guided missile. An announcement by the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) said that Sweden and France have signed a bilateral framework agreement to cooperate on a new anti-tank system, “the agreement enables joint studies, acquisitions and development.” This will see Akeron MP selected as the RBS 58 in Swedish service, replacing the Saab RBS 56 BILL.
Swedish testing of Akeron took place during 2022 with the Life Guards’ 12th Motorized rifle battalion. The battalion is equipped with the Patria XA-360 AMV and the Terrängbil 16 “Galten” MRAP. A photograph of Akeron being test fired from a Tgb 16 was shared as part of the announcement. In December 2022, Akeron’s integration with BAE Systems Hagglunds’ CV90 was demonstrated at a test range in Northern Sweden.
Back in July 2021, France and Sweden signed a letter of intent between the FMV and their French counterparts, the Direction Générale de l’Armement, (DGA). The new agreement was signed by Mikael Frisell, the head of head of the management staff at Sweden’s FMV, and by Gael Diaz du Tuesta, National Armaments director at France’s DGA. Frisell said: “this agreement is a very important step for the deepened cooperation with France in the area of defense”
Akeron capable of engaging armored targets, night or day, out to ranges of 4km and uses a tandem HEAT warhead. It has multiple targeting modes as well as a fire-and-forget capability. It can use third party target designation and is capable of lock-on after launch (LOAL) for non-line-of-sight (NLOS) targets designated down range.
The Akeron MP or MMP ‘Missile Moyenne Portée’ (Medium-Range Missile) was developed in the 2000s and entered production in 2014. The missile entered service with the French Army in 2017, and was used operationally for thr first time in 2018. At the start of the year, France’s Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) announced on 12 January a further order for 200 Akeron MP medium-range anti-tank guided missiles from MBDA.
In a statement on social media MBDA said “the combination of the expertise, skill sets and resources of MBDA and Saab in the Ground Combat domain will ensure that the AKERON MP weapon system and its training solutions will evolve in consistency with today’s and future conflict requirements.” According to the FMV training with Akeron is “planned to begin in Swedish units as early as 2023.”