MBDA has entered into an agreement with the Italian National Directorate of Naval Armaments for the production of the TESEO MK2/E anti-ship missile, which is currently under development for the Italian Navy.
The contract covers the supply of "new generation" TESEO MK2/E anti-ship missiles, which will equip new units of the Italian Navy. This includes the FREMM EVO frigates, the Thaon di Revel-class patrol ships, and the DDX destroyers.
The missile will also complement the previous MK2/A version, which is already in-service on the FREMM and Horizon-class frigates.
The production contract follows the previous one signed in 2021 for the development, integration and qualification of the missile.
The TESEO MK2/E is an entirely new weapon system designed to meet the requirements of the Italian Navy. MBDA said that the new missile boasts active electronically scanned array seeker technology and can counter both very long range naval and land targets.
The missile will also allow enhanced mission planning including in-flight control via a satellite data link. It also has a secondary deep strike capability.