MBDA has secured a French DGA experimentation contract for the AKERON RCX50 loitering munition, giving French Army and Navy users a compact weapon for reconnaissance and precision strike beyond direct line of sight, the company announced on 16 June 2026. The move strengthens France’s push to field short-range remotely controlled munitions that can find, track, and attack targets at tactical depth without exposing troops or platforms. Developed with Novadem in less than two years, AKERON RCX50 is a 2 kg-class system designed to engage targets out to 10 km while supporting training and operational evaluation by land and naval users. Its readiness for mass production is central to its military value, as Western forces increasingly prioritize affordable, scalable strike systems for dispersed operations and drone-dominated battlefields. Read more...
MBDA’s AKERON RCX50 is a 2 kg-class French loitering munition designed to give small units a man-in-the-loop reconnaissance and precision-strike capability against soft and light armored targets at ranges up to 10 km (Picture source: Army Recognition Group).