MBDA MICA

MICA is a French multi-target, all-weather, fire-and-forget missile made by MBDA France for short to medium range engagements, and its name is an acronym for the French words for interception, combat and self-defence. It comes in two seeker versions, MICA RF with an active radar seeker and MICA IR with an imaging infrared seeker, and a thrust vector control unit fitted to the rocket motor gives it great agility. Matra began development in 1982, the first trials took place in 1991, and the missile was commissioned in 1996 to equip the Rafale and the Mirage 2000, replacing the Super 530 in the interception role and the Magic II in the dogfighting role. The same missile can also be launched from ships and ground units through the MICA vertical launch system.