MBDA has signed a major production contract with the National Directorate of Naval Armaments for the new-generation TESEO MK2/E anti-ship missile, developed for the Italian Navy.
The agreement covers the supply of TESEO MK2/E missiles to equip the Navy’s latest surface combatants, including the FREMM EVO class frigates, PPA/MPCS multi-purpose ships, and the future DDX destroyers. The missile will complement the in-service MK2/A variant, currently deployed on FREMM and Horizon-class vessels.
Evolution from Development to Production
This production phase follows the 2021 development, integration, and qualification contract. The TESEO MK2/E represents a completely new weapon system, designed to meet Italy’s maritime defense requirements.
The missile is equipped with an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) seeker, providing advanced capabilities such as:
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Engagement of long-range naval and land targets
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Enhanced mission planning with in-flight control via satellite datalink
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Secondary deep-strike capability
Strategic Significance for MBDA and Italy
Lorenzo Mariani, MBDA Executive Group Director of Sales & Business Development and Managing Director of MBDA Italy, emphasized the importance of the deal:
“This contract confirms the success of a process led in synergy with the Navy. Starting production demonstrates that the product is mature, fully compliant, and adds a new benchmark capability in the anti-ship domain to also be offered to international markets.”
Strengthening Anti-Ship Capabilities
The TESEO MK2/E anti-ship missile is designed to counter evolving maritime threats and reflects MBDA’s decades of experience with the TESEO/OTOMAT family. With its flexibility and scalability, it is also expected to attract interest from international customers, offering substantial enhancement in naval strike capabilities.
