Story by Alix Valenti, additional reporting by Xavier Vavasseur
The contract for the development of the Teseo Mk2/E anti-ship missile was signed in November 2020 and began in January 2021. It was designed to meet four key requirements outlined by the Italian Navy: (1) range extension, (2) full mission control from launch to the final phase of the engagement; (3) increased capability in Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW) scenario, in particular in relation to terminal guidance and high precision engagement, and (4) increased land attack capability with scalable effect.
In response to these requirements, the Teseo Mk2/E features three key technologies.
The lethal pack with the scalable warhead allows operators to choose the type of effect they would like the missile to have – whether semi-piercing or high explosive. “This is a crucial feature for the navy, in particular when seeking to hit targets in high congested environments, because it allows the operator to minimise the collateral damage from the explosion,” Marco Gelli, MBDA Chief Engineer for the TESEO MK2/E program, told the journalists.
This is further secured by the introduction of several technologies that help increase precision in the terminal phases of the engagement. The new generation AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) based seeker with Electronic Counter-Counter Measure (ECCM) capability, in combination with the EO sensor, facilitates high precision engagement for both sea and land targets. MBDA Italia is the prime contractor and design authority of the new seeker while Leonardo is contributing with the AESA antenna development under the overall integration of MBDA. The company representative pointed out during the briefing, the RF seeker development is on schedule alongside the overall weapon system.
The EO sensor installed as part of the terminal guidance package is a semi-active laser (SAL), allowing a highly precise engagement with third parties support of both land- and littoral-based targets, hence considerably reducing potential collateral damages.
Finally, while the system still features the fully autonomous integrated INS/GPS and radar altimeter navigation system, the introduction of the satellite bi-directional data link allows the operator to retain control over the missile until the last phase of the engagement. “As the operator receives real-time information on the target and the situation around the target, he/she can choose to re-direct the missile or abort the mission until the very last phase of the missile’s flight,” Gelli added.
The Teseo Mk2/E system features reflect very accurately the Italian Navy’s concerns about the environment in which navies are increasingly being deployed. The past few years – and even more so with the war in Ukraine – have highlighted the return of high intensity scenarios and the use of naval capabilities to strike land targets from the sea. That is why the Teseo Mk2/E features a range in excess of 350km at sea-skimming level, a feature enabled by the lighter composite frame (700kg at the start of the cruise phase) that allows to carry more fuel despite the shorter length (<5m) of the new system.
MBDA just concluded the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) in March 2023 and is now preparing for the Detailed Design Review, where all the missile components are designed and approved. Five firing campaigns have been scheduled. F0 will validate the initial phase of the launch, which is critical for ensuring the success of the mission, whereas F1 will validate the aero-propulsive chain. “F2, 3 and 4 will cover the validation of, respectively, the seeker, land attack, and finally the adaptation of the launch system on the ship,” Gelli specified.
In fact, the launching system adaptation – currently foreseen for the FREMM ships and the Horizon class – will be relatively minimal. The revectoring antenna and transmitter will be fully reused, as will the ramps. The update will include a whole new console to be able to manage all the new functionalities of the system, as well as minor software updates to the missile interface unit for the management of ammunitions.
The Italian Navy representatives present at the briefing confirmed that there are currently no plans for the use of the Mk2/E on submarines. Gelli, however, noted that from the MBDA standpoint many different evolutions of the system can be defined with current and potential clients, including the possibility of a vertical launching system. The new missile is equipped with a single coaxial booster allowing the system to reduce its dimensions with folded flight control surfaces inside the canister. Although the Italian Navy required the new missile to be used from current generation Teseo Mk2/A launchers on surface ships, the new missile has been conceived to be launched vertically as well, facilitating the future potential deployment from VLS.
Initial delivery of the systems is scheduled for 2027.
