Europe’s leading missile and missile systems company- MBDA, unveiled its CVW102 FLEXIS, an innovative, fully modular missile architectur...
Europe’s leading missile and missile systems company- MBDA, unveiled its CVW102 FLEXIS, an innovative, fully modular missile architecture concept for 2035 and beyond, at the Paris Air Show.
This is a family of weapons which could be produced using a series of modular components, according to the specific mission requirement, when the weapon is loaded onto the aircraft.
Innovative technologies being developed by MBDA for FLEXIS are:
• A common missile power and communication bus with universal contactless interfaces applicable to all subsystems to simplify system architecture and allow configuration flexibility.
• A common composite chassis allows for the embedding of the common bus architecture using wire-in composite processes, installation of mission specific aerodynamic surfaces and provides a common core to all the missile configurations, removing duplication.
• A portfolio of common subsystems in standardised diameters delivers breadth of capability and allows system evolution through technology insertion.
• Automated assembly equipment helps the operator to build and certify his missile prior to flight.
• A central Weapon Configuration and Control Unit identifies the installed modules and configures their performance to work as an optimised system.
• A Missile Collaboration & Coordination module provides automated inter-missile tactics and resource sharing to the missiles once in flight in order to maximize success in complex or high threat environments.
• Health and Usage Monitoring integrated at the module level allows enhanced missile life management, and module design to life.
The Flexis would come in three sizes: a 180mm dia., 1.8-meter-long weapon for air-to-air or lightweight air-to-ground warfare; a 350mm dia., 3.5-meter-long weapon that would deliver a larger payload for bigger targets or carry a penetrator warhead; and a 450mm dia., 5.5-meter-long weapon that would form the basis of an anti-ship missile or a long-range cruise missile.
