The MICA ()
is a French
anti-air multi-target, all weather,
fire-and-forget
Fire-and-forget is a type of missile guidance which does not require further external intervention after launch such as illumination of the target or wire guidance, and can hit its target without the launcher being in line-of-sight of the tar ...
short to medium-range missile system manufactured by
MBDA France. It is intended for use both by air platforms as individual missiles as well as ground units and ships, which can be equipped with the rapid fire MICA
Vertical Launch System. It is fitted with a
thrust vector control (TVC) system. It was developed from 1982 onward by
Matra
Matra (an acronym for Mécanique Aviation Traction) was a major French industrial Conglomerate (company), conglomerate. Its business activities covered a wide range of industries, notably aerospace manufacturer, aerospace, defence industry, def ...
. The first trials occurred in 1991, and the missile was commissioned in 1996 to equip the
Rafale and
Mirage 2000. It is a replacement for both the
Super 530 in the interception role and the
Magic II in the
dogfight
A dogfight, or dog fight, is an air combat manoeuvring, aerial battle between fighter aircraft that is conducted at close range. Modern terminology for air-to-air combat is air combat manoeuvring (ACM), which refers to tactical situations requir ...
ing role. MICA-EM and MICA-IR both can fulfill the roles of short-range and medium range
BVR air to air missiles.
On 11 June 2007, a MICA launched from a
Rafale successfully demonstrated its over-the-shoulder capability by destroying a target behind the launch aircraft. The target was designated by another aircraft and coordinates were transmitted via
Link 16.
Characteristics
There are two MICA variants; MICA RF has an
active radar homing
Active radar homing (ARH) is a missile guidance method in which a missile contains a radar transceiver (in contrast to semi-active radar homing, which uses only a passive radar, receiver) and the electronics necessary for it to find and track it ...
seeker and MICA IR has an
imaging infra-red homing seeker. Both seekers are designed to filter out counter-measures such as
chaff
Chaff (; ) is dry, scale-like plant material such as the protective seed casings of cereal grains, the scale-like parts of flowers, or finely chopped straw. Chaff cannot be digested by humans, but it may be fed to livestock, ploughed into soil ...
and
decoy flares. A
thrust vector control unit fitted to the rocket motor increases the missile's agility. The missile is capable of lock-on after launch (LOAL) which means it is capable of engaging targets outside its seeker's at-launch acquisition range. Mounted on the
Rafale, the MICA IR can provide IR imagery to the central data processing system, thus acting as an extra sensor.
MICA can also be employed as a short-range
surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground or the sea to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-ai ...
. It is available in a ground-based version, VL MICA, fired from a truck-mounted box launcher, and a naval version, VL MICA-M, fired from a ship-fitted vertical launch system.
[.] On 23 October 2008, 15:30, at CELM, Biscarosse (
Landes), a VL MICA missile successfully performed the last of its 14 test firings meaning it is now ready for mass production. The target drone was flying at low level, over the sea, 12 km away; despite this distance, MICA, equipped with an active radar seeker, locked on the target and shot it down.
Corvette
A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the sloo ...
s too small to have the big and costly
Aster missile system are the most likely customers for the VL MICA-M, which offers similar capability as the Aster 15 but without its booster and PIF-PAF vectorial control.
While the VL MICA has an advertised range of 20 km, aerodynamic performance is significantly degraded at those ranges. From 0 to 7 km MICA has maneuverability of 50g, however by 12 km this is reduced to 30g as energy is lost.
Variants

* MICA RF
or EM (électromagnétique)
[
* MICA IR (infrarouge/infrared)][
* VL MICA RF/EM
* VL MICA IR
* VL MICA-M RF/EM
* VL MICA-M IR
* A3SM . Submarine-launched version. Installed in Barracuda-class nuclear-fueled attack subs of the French Navy.
* MICA NG . Second generation of MICA designed against stealthy targets. Infrared seeker will use a matrix sensor providing greater sensitivity. The radio frequency seeker will use an AESA. The range has been increased by up to 40% over the standard MICA.
]
Operators
Current operators
Air-air missile
;
: Croatian Air Force: With the purchase of the Rafale F3R fighter jets come MICA missiles in radar-guided and infrared versions.
;
:Egyptian Air Force
The Egyptian Air Force (EAF) () is the aviation branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces that is responsible for all airborne defence missions and operates all military aircraft, including those used in support of the Egyptian Army, Egyptian Navy ...
: MICA EM/IR used on Rafale aircraft, 150 missiles purchased.
;
: French Air and Space Force
The French Air and Space Force (, , ) is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. Formed in 1909 as the ("Aeronautical Service"), a service arm of the French Army, it became an independent military branch in 1934 as the French Air F ...
: used on Mirage 2000-5, Mirage 2000D RMV and Rafale aircraft.
: French Navy
The French Navy (, , ), informally (, ), is the Navy, maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of History of France, France. It is among the largest and most powerful List of navies, naval forces i ...
: used on Rafale M aircraft.
;
: Hellenic Air Force
The Hellenic Air Force (HAF; , sometimes abbreviated as ΠΑ) is the air force of Greece (''Hellenic'' being the endonym for ''Greek'' in the Greek language). It is considered to be one of the largest air forces in NATO, and is globally placed 1 ...
: MICA EM/IR on Mirage 2000 and Rafale fighters
:* 100 missiles ordered in 2000 (delivery 2003-04)
:* 100 ordered in 2003
;
: Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force (IAF) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the air force, air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflicts. It was officially established on 8 Octob ...
: 200 MICA-IR and 1000 MICA-RF missiles are integrated on upgraded Mirage-2000s and Rafales. Indian Air Force successfully tested MICA missile from its aircraft Sukhoi Su-30MKI
The Sukhoi Su-30MKI (NATO reporting name: Flanker-H) is a two-seater, twinjet Multirole combat aircraft, multirole air superiority fighter developed by Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi and built under licence by India's Hindustan Aeronautic ...
.
;
: Royal Moroccan Air Force
The Royal Moroccan Air Force (; ; ) is the air force of the Moroccan Armed Forces.
History
The Moroccan air force was formed on 14 May 1956 as the Sherifian Royal Aviation ().
Its modern installations and bases were inherited from France (Bass ...
, 150 missiles ordered in 2005
;
: Qatar Emiri Air Force, 100 MICA-EM ordered in 1994, 150 MICA-IR + 150 MICA-EM ordered in 2015
;
: Republic of China Air Force
The Republic of China Air Force ( Chinese, 中華民國空軍), or the ROCAF; known colloquially as the Taiwanese Air Force ( Chinese, 臺灣空軍) by Western or mainland Chinese media, or commonly referred as the National Military Air Force ...
: 960 originally purchased to equip Mirage 2000-5 fighters of the RoCAF. The National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology has been tasked with upgrading the missile in 2016.
;
: United Arab Emirates Air Force: on the Mirage 2000, 500 missiles ordered in 1998
Surface-to-air missile
;
:Botswana Ground Force
The Botswana Ground Forces is the army of the country of Botswana, and the land component of the Botswana Defence Force.
History
The Botswana Defence Force was raised in April 1977 by an Act of Parliament called the 'BDF Act NO 13 of 1977. At i ...
: 1 battery of VL MICA on erector launcher, acquired in 2016. 50 missiles have been purchased for this system.
;
: Royal Moroccan Army
The Royal Moroccan Army ( ''Al-Quwwat al-Bariyah al-Malakiyah al-Maghribiyah'', ''tasrdast tagldant'') is the branch of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations.
The Royal Moroccan Army is about 215,000 t ...
: 4 batteries Ground based VL MICA., 200 missiles ordered for those systems in 2020
;
: Royal Army of Oman Ground based VL MICA (first client 1 battery ordered in 2009, delivered in 2012, 50 missiles)
;
: Saudi Arabia National Guard Air Defence: VL-MICA., 5 batteries ordered in 2013 with 250 missiles
;
:Royal Thai Army
The Royal Thai Army or RTA (; ) is the army of Thailand and the oldest and largest branch of the Royal Thai Armed Forces.
History
Origin
The Royal Thai Army is responsible for protecting the kingdom's sovereignty. The army was formed in 187 ...
: 1 VL MICA battery, 50 missiles ordered in 2016
Naval surface-to-air missile
; ,
: VL MICA-M installed on 4 Gowind-class corvettes (16 VLS), 75 missiles purchased with that contract.
: VL-MICA-M installed on 4 MEKO-A200-EN with each 32 × VLS for MBDA MICA-NG, 200 missiles purchased with that contract.
: 75 missiles purchased.
;
: Indonesian Navy
The Indonesian Navy (, TNI-AL) is the Navy, naval branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. It was founded on 10 September 1945 and has a role to patrol Indonesia's lengthy coastline, to enforce and patrol the territorial waters and Exclus ...
: 2 VL MICA-M installed on .
:* 40 MICA missiles purchased in 2018
;
: Royal Moroccan Navy
The Royal Moroccan Navy of Morocco () is a branch of the military of Morocco responsible for conducting naval operations.
The Royal Moroccan Navy is administratively managed by the Administration of Defence, which is (''de facto'') commanded b ...
: VL MICA-M installed on Sigma-class design
The SIGMA class is a Dutch-built family of modular naval vessels, of either corvette or frigate size, designed by Damen Group.
SIGMA stands for Ship Integrated Geometrical Modularity Approach. The basic design of the SIGMA Patrol Series can vary ...
.
;
: Philippine Navy
The Philippine Navy (PN) () is the naval warfare service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It has an estimated strength of 24,500 active service personnel, including the 10,300-strong Philippine Marine Corps. It operates 91 combat ...
: VL-MICA installed on ''Miguel Malvar-''class frigates.
;
: Royal Navy of Oman
The Royal Navy of Oman (), abbreviated RNO, is the maritime component of the Royal Armed Forces of the Sultanate of Oman. Given its long coastline and strategic location along the Indian Ocean, as well as being close to the Strait of Hormuz, ...
: VL MICA-M used on the ''Khareef''-class corvettes (ordered in 2008, delivered in 2013-14, 60 missiles)
;
: Qatari Emiri Navy, 2 patrol ships ''Musherib'' class with each 8 VLS MICA, and 30 missiles ordered in 2016
;
: Saudi Arabia Navy: VL MICA-M. ordered for 5 Avante-2200 frigates, ordered in 2018 with 120 missiles
;
: Republic of Singapore Navy
The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) is the Naval warfare, maritime Military branch, service branch of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) responsible for defending the country against any seaborne threats and as a guarantor of its sea lines of ...
: 8 ''Independence''-class littoral mission vessel are equipped with the VL MICA-M, 150 missiles ordered for it in 2013.
;
: United Arab Emirates Navy: VL MICA-M on Falaj 2-class patrol vessel, 20 missiles ordered for 2 corvettes.
Naval underwater-to-air missile
;
: French Navy
The French Navy (, , ), informally (, ), is the Navy, maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of History of France, France. It is among the largest and most powerful List of navies, naval forces i ...
: on Barracuda-class submarine.
;
: Indian Navy
The Indian Navy (IN) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Navy, maritime and Amphibious warfare, amphibious branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of the Naval Staff (India), Chief ...
: on ''Kalvari''-class submarines.
Future operators
;
: Bulgarian Navy
The Bulgarian Navy () is the navy
A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; name ...
: In September 2022 the Bulgarian government decided for the purchase of VL MICA for the two future patrol ships of the Bulgarian Navy. The first ship is under construction and will be commissioned in 2025.
;
: Royal Malaysian Navy
The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN, ; Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ) is the naval arm of the Malaysian Armed Forces. RMN is the main agency responsible for the country's maritime surveillance and defence operations. RMN's area of operation consists of 603,2 ...
: VL MICA-M has been selected for the future ''Maharaja Lela''-class frigates.
;
: Ukrainian Navy
The Ukrainian Navy (), is the Navy, maritime force of Ukraine and one of the eight Military branch, service branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The naval forces consist of five components: surface forces, submarine forces, Ukrainian Naval ...
: The VL "MICA" air defense system will be installed on the Ada-class corvette Hetman Ivan Mazepa. On 23 October 2024, Sébastien Lecornu, French Armed Forces Minister, announced that France would send the first of three Mirage 2000s to Ukraine by March 2025. These aircraft would be capable of carrying SCALP-EG and MICA missiles, have updated electronic warfare systems and that Ukrainian pilots were be trained in their usage.
Potential operators
* Armenian Armed Forces – French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu mentioned its possible sale during his visit to Armenia in February 2024.
See also
* Air-to-air missile
An air-to-air missile (AAM) is a missile fired from an aircraft for the purpose of destroying another aircraft (including unmanned aircraft such as cruise missiles). AAMs are typically powered by one or more rocket motors, usually solid-fuel roc ...
* List of missiles
Below is a list of missiles, sorted alphabetically into large categories and subcategories by name and purpose.
Other missile lists
Types of missiles:
* Conventional guided missiles
** Air-to-air missile
** Air-to-surface missile
** Anti-radia ...
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References
External links
* {{Citation , url = http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/naval-exhibitions/lima-2013/963-mbdas-anti-ship-a-air-defence-weapons-at-lima-2013-multiple-solutions-for-multiple-missions-.html , title = MBDA's Anti-Ship & Air Defence Weapons at LIMA 2013: Multiple Solutions For Multiple Missions , newspaper = Navy recognition.
MICA
Micas ( ) are a group of silicate minerals whose outstanding physical characteristic is that individual mica crystals can easily be split into fragile elastic plates. This characteristic is described as ''perfect basal cleavage''. Mica is co ...
MICA
Micas ( ) are a group of silicate minerals whose outstanding physical characteristic is that individual mica crystals can easily be split into fragile elastic plates. This characteristic is described as ''perfect basal cleavage''. Mica is co ...
Beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles
20th-century surface-to-air missiles
Military equipment introduced in the 1990s
Fire-and-forget weapons
Matra
MBDA