The UK plans to use the subsonic, stealthy, long range STRATUS LO aboard its Royal Navy Type 26 frigates, Minister Luke Pollard finally confirmed in a Written Answer.

The new MBDA missile will respond to the Royal Navy requirement known as Future Offensive Surface Weapon (FOSuW) “which will provide a long range anti-ship strike weapon with land attack capabilities, compatible with the Mk41 Vertical Launch System (VLS)”.

The STRATUS (Low Observable), which until DSEI in September was known as the “TP15” from its propulsion and design iteration, is one of two missiles developed by MBDA under the Future Cruise & Anti-Ship Weapon joint program between UK and France, with Italy to join for the decisive phase of demonstration and manufacture, which will be kicked off in the coming months.

The other missile is the STRATUS RS (Rapid Strike), a supersonic missile previously known as “RJ10”.

It had always been intended that FCASW would deliver both the STORM SHADOW replacement and a strike weapon for the Navy’s VLS, but an unambiguous confirmation had long been expected.

However, this answer reinforces other doubts, about whether the FCASW partners have any intention of actually acquiring both of the “complementary” weapons that emerged from the project. So far, the UK appears to commit itself only to the subsonic, very low-observable, long range (apparently 1000 km or more) STRATUS LO, which has been driven predominantly by UK expertise.

Earlier information via French DGA suggests the subsonic option is “90% british and 10% French”, with the opposite balance for the supersonic missile.

The STRATUS RS, while expected to have a much shorter range, will be more than 3 times faster and will be particularly optimized as an anti-radar missile for suppression of enemy air defences, quick ship attack and even air to air long range attacks against enemy high value platforms, chiefly AEW aircraft.

The two missiles complement each other and should be used in combination but mystery persists on whether the UK, in particular, will be acquiring both. At DSEI in September, even MBDA confirmed that at this stage it remains unknown.

Another area of uncertainty regards the Type 31 frigates, not directly mentioned in the Written Answer. These ships are now expected to be fitted with MK41 VLS as well (indeed, they could have 32 cells against 24 on the Type 26).

More clarity might or might not come from the Defence Investment Plan, supposed to be published this year although only days remain before Parliament rises for recess, only to return in 2026.

Next year, the contract for the Demonstration and Manufacture of the new missiles should finally be signed. Original ambitions to have the new missile on Type 26 already in 2028 seem very hard to convert into reality in the limited time available.

The air launched STRATUS is primarily aimed at TYPHOON although the expectation is that integration on F-35 will eventually follow. According to another, earlier written answers, early fit checks on F-35 have been carried out.

F-35 integration would probably be a shared enterprise with Italy, which in the meanwhile has obtained a US authorization for up to 100 JASSM-ER AGM-158B / B2 missiles. The relatively small number of missiles being sought might in itself be a signal of long term plans centered on the MBDA weapon although nothing is official at this point in time.  

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