Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon

[2][3][4][5] Equally funded by both countries with a workload evenly split, the project is led by MBDA and is a product of the close defence relationship set out between the two nations by the Lancaster House treaties.

[7][8] In 2017, an agreement for the launch of a concept phase was signed between the two initial partners and, in March 2019, MBDA announced the key review of the programme was successfully completed in cooperation with the French Directorate General of Armament (DGA) and the British Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S).

[17] At the 2016 UK–France Security Summit, the two parties pledged to work on a "joint concept phase for the FC/ASW programme" to cooperate and identify solutions for replacement of both nations' jointly-developed SCALP-EG/Storm Shadow cruise missiles, as well as their respective heavyweight anti-ship missiles: the Harpoon and Exocet; leveraging the agreements set out in the 2010 Lancaster House Treaties[18] At the 2018 United Kingdom-France Summit, the FC/ASW programme was further affirmed.

[19] On 11 July 2018, a joint-inquiry between the French National Défense and Armed Forces Commission and the British House of Commons Defence Select Committee was sat to discuss the FC/ASW program one year into its concept phase.

Sir Poffley also stated that a submarine-launched capability was not directly being explored at this time but that "there will undoubtedly be potentially some read-across of some of the work done in this programme to other missile systems".

[23][24][25][26] On 5 July 2022, during another Commons Defence Select Committee session, it was announced that the I-SSGW programme had restarted, possibly in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

[27][28] Under the newly named Maritime Offensive Surface Strike programme (MOSS), NSM had its initial operating capability declared on 19 December 2023 a week after the first set was successfully installed on HMS Somerset.

[29] However, following a series of defects and current lack of availability as of February 2024, HMS Somerset has yet to conduct a live-firing of NSM and has effectively seen a delay placed on the Royal Navy's escort fleet regaining a key surface warfare capability.

[35][36] On 22 July 2022, Naval News reported that the UK's Rolls-Royce and France's Safran had jointly signed an assessment phase contract with MBDA to collaborate in producing the propulsion systems for the FC/ASW program, predominantly around the subsonic missile design.

[8][38] On 13 March 2024, during an annual review press conference, MBDA's CEO, Eric Béranger, explained that France and the UK were still in discussions regarding the adjusted workshare following Italy's letter of intent.

[40][42] In January 2024, in response to a written question from the Shadow Secretary of Defence John Healey on the in-service date of the air-launched variant, The Minister of State for Defence James Cartlidge said that "The planning assumption for service entry for the maritime-launched Future Cruise / Anti-Ship Weapon is 2028; a decision around which options, including off the shelf choices, should fulfil this requirement is ongoing, and will be confirmed in due course in the Full Business Case".

[46] On 15 May 2024, in response to a programme update from former Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace, James Cartlidge confirmed that "Significant progress has been made on suitable candidate weapon systems to fulfil the Naval and Air requirements" and that the programme was currently focused on "reducing schedule risk, prior to the potential Demonstration and Manufacturing phases, and preparations are underway to prepare towards Full Business Case".

[47] In November 2024, at the Euronaval defence exhibition in Paris, MBDA revealed that the development of two prototype missile designs had been progressing over the last twelve months; thus confirming the earlier reports of two distinct but complementary solutions for the programme: France and the UK have, so far, each been responsible for 90% of the workload pertaining to the RJ10 and TP15 respectively; French involvement in the British-led TP15 being primarily centered around its propulsion system, whilst British involvement in the French-led RJ10 mainly revolves around its seeker.