The European hypersonic defence interceptor system project, known as HYDIS, has completed its final concept review and selected one interceptor design to move forward.
Co-funded by the European Union and four member states including France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, the project aims to conclude its current concept phase by May 2027.
The chosen design was selected over two alternative concepts following technical studies led by a consortium under MBDA. These activities involved refining solid rocket motor-based designs and conducting performance assessments to evaluate interception capabilities using fly-out simulation data.
The selected concept incorporates a propulsive architecture from AVIO, control mechanisms from ArianeGroup and Roxel, and a terminal infrared sensor from Lynred.
To integrate the interceptor into a wider weapon system, Thales Netherlands provided sensor suite data while GKN Fokker assessed how the ammunition would fit into MK41 naval launchers.
OCCAR and representatives from the four participating nations reviewed the evaluation results during a six-week period. Following this review, the consortium presented its finalised plans to the steering committee on July 10.
Management of the programme is handled by OCCAR on behalf of the European Commission under a European Defence Fund contribution agreement. The consortium will now focus entirely on refining this single interceptor concept until the end of the concept phase.