22 March 2023

Egyptian naval special forces show Akeron MP missile

by Amael Kotlarski & Jeremy Binnie

Egyptian naval special forces display weapons that include an Akeron MP to a Qatari delegation at their base in Abu Qir. (Egyptian Ministry of Defense)

An Egyptian naval special forces unit is the first confirmed export customer for the MBDA Akeron MP anti-tank guided missile system, a video released by the Egyptian Ministry of Defense on 18 March revealed.

The video showed a high-level Qatari military delegation visiting several Egyptian units, including one that identified itself as the naval Special Forces Brigade, which displayed weapons and equipment that included an Akeron MP with a launcher and missile tube in tan rather than the usual green.

Developed for the French Army's requirements under the name Missile Moyenne Portée (MMP), the Akeron MP is a fifth-generation weapon that can be employed in the anti-tank, anti-structure, and anti-personnel role at ranges of more than 4 km.

It has three operating modes: lock-on-before-launch (LOBL), fire-observe-and-update, and lock-on-after-launch (LOAL)/non-line-of-sight (NLOS). Before launching a missile, the operator can select either a low trajectory for a direct attack or a high trajectory for a top attack.

An Akeron MP order for Luxembourg was announced in September 2022 but no deliveries have been confirmed. Belgium and Qatar are thought to be potential customers for vehicle-mounted versions.

Other weapons displayed by the Egyptian naval Special Forces Brigade included the RPG-32 Nashshab anti-tank rocket system, which is produced jointly by Jordan and Russia. The long-range rifles displayed by the brigade included the Barret M107 and Accuracy International AX308. Live-fire demonstrations were conducted with short-barrelled 7.62×39 mm CZ Bren 2 rifles.

An Egyptian naval special forces unit is the first confirmed export customer for the MBDA Akeron MP ...

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