Multi-national MBDA has announced the first test firing of the AKERON LP long-range anti-tank missile for attack helicopters in France and possibly others.
AKERON LP is intended as a successor to existing ATGMs, AGM-114 Hellfire and TRIGAT-LR, in Eurocopter Tiger attack helicopters’ arsenal. The missile is the long-range leg of France’s efforts to introduce a new generation ATGM family to its Army branch alongside the medium-range AKERON MP.
AKRON LP’s most important advantages compared to the ATGMs mentioned above will be the tri-mode seeker and longer range of 20 km. The tri-mode seeker combines laser, TV, and IIR seekers for increased resistance to countermeasures and targeting performance.
Multi-mode seekers and extended range (Beyond that of at least MANPADS) have been subjects of focus for new generation ATGMs like AGM-179 JAGM of the U.S. and UMTAS-GM Block 2 of Turkiye. Multi-spectrum guidance is considered a counter to soft-kill and countermeasures on modern MBTs. At the same time, the extended range is a reaction to the proliferation of short-range air defence systems and the rise in their kill probabilities.
