STRATUS (formerly FC/ASW)
Trinational (France/UK/Italy) programme to develop the STRATUS (formerly FC/ASW) low-observable, rapid-strike cruise/anti-ship missile, led by MBDA.
STRATUS (formerly the Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon, FC/ASW) is a trinational missile programme launched by France and the UK in 2017, joined by Italy in June 2023, and led by MBDA to replace legacy cruise and anti-ship missiles with two variants: STRATUS LO (subsonic, low-observable, based on the TP15) and STRATUS RS (supersonic, ramjet-powered, based on the RJ10). MBDA unveiled the finalized low-observable design at DSEI 2025; the programme is awaiting government decisions from France, Italy, and the UK to enter the development phase, expected imminently in 2026, with flight tests targeted for 2026-2028.
Program detail
- Agency
- France DGA / UK MOD / Italy
- Acronym
- FC/ASW
- Budget
- Undisclosed
- Phase
- Assessment phase concluded; PDR from late 2025; flight tests 2026-2028
- Domain
- Cruise missiles / anti-ship / deep strike
Contracts0
No linked records yet.
Frequently asked
- What is STRATUS (formerly FC/ASW)?
- STRATUS (formerly the Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon, FC/ASW) is a trinational missile programme launched by France and the UK in 2017, joined by Italy in June 2023, and led by MBDA to replace legacy cruise and anti-ship missiles with two variants: STRATUS LO (subsonic, low-observable, based on the TP15) and STRATUS RS (supersonic, ramjet-powered, based on the RJ10). MBDA unveiled the finalized low-observable design at DSEI 2025; the programme is awaiting government decisions from France, Italy, and the UK to enter the development phase, expected imminently in 2026, with flight tests targeted for 2026-2028.
- Which agency runs STRATUS (formerly FC/ASW)?
- STRATUS (formerly FC/ASW) is run by France DGA / UK MOD / Italy and is also known as FC/ASW.
Sources & citations2
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- 1
MBDA unveiled the finalised STRATUS (formerly FC/ASW) low-observable and rapid-strike missile designs at DSEI 2025; France, UK and Italy trinational programme with 750+ engineers, flight tests targeted 2026-2028
Shephard Media: DSEI 2025: MBDA reveals finalised FC/ASW low-observable missile design as programme advancesVerified2025-09-10 - 2
The UK will commit £1.4 billion to STRATUS over four years, sustaining more than 1,300 UK jobs at MBDA UK, within a broader £3B ($4B) UK deep-precision-strike investment plan through 2030
AeroTime: UK commits £1.4 billion to Stratus missile as part of European deep strike pushVerified2026