European missile group MBDA is preparing to spin out a multi-platform family of weapon systems based on its Sea Venom lightweight anti-ship missile, Naval News has learned during DSEI UK 2025.
Initially developed for helicopter drop-launch under the Royal Navy’s (RN’s) Future Anti-Surface Guided Weapon (Heavy) – FASGW(H) – programme, Sea Venom is now being pushed for integration on uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs), fast patrol boats, unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) and mobile coastal batteries. MBDA sees opportunities emerging in both Europe, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific for users looking to deliver proportionate and precise surface strike in complex littoral environments.
Jointly funded through development by France and the UK, Sea Venom has been specifically designed to counter a broad littoral target set, up to and including corvette-sized vessels equipped with point defence systems. The missile also offers a coastal suppression capability against land targets.
Weighing 120 kg, and delivering a 30 kg Eurenco Insensitive Munition semi-armour piercing warhead, Sea Venom is able to strike targets at ranges out to 30 km. Flying selectable sea-skimming profiles at high subsonic speed, the weapon uses a Safran-supplied uncooled imaging infrared seeker with advanced algorithms to accurately select the correct target in dense shipping scenarios: a two-way data link allows Operator-In-The-Loop (OITL) supervision in situations where stringent Rules of Engagement apply.
MBDA claims that Sea Venom has several advantages over other systems in its weight class. For example, while the missile is capable of functioning in a fully autonomous ‘fire and forget’ mode, the use of OITL control via data link enables capabilities such as in-flight re-targeting, aimpoint correction/refinement, and safe abort.
Sea Venom was originally intended to meet the needs of both the UK’s FASGW(H) programme and France’s Anti-Navire Léger (ANL) requirement. In the former case, production-standard Sea Venom missiles are now being fielded with RN Wildcat HMA.2 helicopters on the UK’s current Carrier Strike Group 25 deployment – Operation HIGHMAST – to the Indo-Pacific
ANL was intended to equip the French Navy’s new H160M Guépard helicopter. However, France last year shelved integration activity.
With Sea Venom now through development, MBDA is turning its attention to new market opportunities. The company told Naval News that it is supporting Leonardo in overseas campaigns for the AW159 helicopter (the export variant of Wildcat), and also in discussion with other helicopter and fixed-wing UAV manufacturers.
However, business development efforts have latterly pivoted towards USV applications for a proposed surface launch Sea Venom. This focus reflects lessons learned from Ukraine’s employment of armed USVs in the Black Sea, said the company.
The last 18 months has seen MBDA complete a set of engineering feasibility studies in advance of a formal product launch. This work has determined that, aside from the development of a firing canister, only minor modifications are necessary to create a compact and lightweight ship-launched Sea Venom variant. In most respects, the weapon system – including platform installed equipment – is unchanged from the air-launched version.
MBDA has recently completed the self-funded build of a full-scale mock-up of the associated launch canister. This has been informed by the company’s broad experience of the environmental and shock conditions which canistered missiles are exposed to at sea.
Four USV design houses have already been engaged for discussions on concepts of operations. Feedback has also been sought from potential user communities.
According to MBDA, the development of the launch canister and minor modifications to the missile to enable rail launch, also provide the basis for a mobile coastal battery version of Sea Venom that could be used for chokepoint protection. The truck-mounted concept shown by the company integrates a cluster of four canistered missiles together with a control cabin and a mast-mounted surveillance radar.
