MBDA, a European company for the manufacture of missiles and ammunition, announced that the Egyptian Navy is purchasing the company’s latest surface-to-air missiles. The company stated in a press release that Egypt is the first global customer for the new generation of VL MICA NG surface-to-air missiles with enhanced range for use on its MICA A200 and Gowind 2500 frigates. The new generation of VL MICA NG missiles have a range of more than 40 km at a speed of Mach 4, an improvement from the previous version (20 km). The new missiles will be equipped to sense atypical targets, such as small aircrafts, that typically have low observable infrared and radio frequency signatures. The report points out that the country’s official spending data may not reflect its actual military expenses.

Source: Egypt Independent February 24, 2021 14:03 UTC