Most global companies are incorporating autonomy and Artificial Intelligence in their future programmes. In terms of R&D, what have been the new developments at MBDA?

MBDA is a pioneer in the field of autonomy and Artificial Intelligence (AI) and can be considered a global leader in these technologies. Several of MBDA’s existing systems incorporate elements of autonomy or AI as an aid to human decision making or to enhance system performance. MBDA’s excellence in this field was recognised in 2019 with the prestigious ‘Ingénieur Général Chanson national engineering prize’ for work with AI.

What are your on-going programmes with the Indian armed forces?

We have numerous on-going programmes across all branches of the Indian armed forces. One highlight is that MBDA is the main weapons provider for the Rafale aircraft, where our role is to provide the platform with game-changing combat performance. Unquestionably the most famous is the Meteor, the ramjet powered and network-enabled beyond visual range air-to-air missile that is widely recognised as a game changer for air combat. No less game-changing for the Indian Air Force (IAF) is the SCALP stealthy air-launched cruise missile that also forms part of the Rafale weapons package. This potent weapon will give the IAF an unrivalled and flexible tool to conduct deep strike missions at long ranges against even the most protected of hostile targets. MICA meanwhile provides both the Rafale and the newly upgraded IAF Mirage 2000 aircraft wit