France is moving to restart production of its Naval Cruise Missile (NCM), also known as the Scalp Naval, as part of a broader effort to strengthen its long-range strike capabilities.
The missile has been operational since 2017, equipping both Suffren-class submarines and FREMM frigates. However, production was halted in 2021 after the initial batch was completed, and no follow-on orders were placed.
Originally, France had planned to procure 250 NCM missiles, but budget constraints reduced the order to 200 units, according to Le Parisien. These were divided evenly between the navy’s submarines and surface combatants, leaving limited stockpiles for sustained operations.
Although the MBDA missile has been used only sparingly in combat, the evolving geopolitical environment — shaped by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and ongoing tensions in the Middle East — has highlighted the need for deeper reserves of long-range precision strike munitions.
The move also aligns with a broader effort to reinforce France’s strike capabilities, coming about a year after Paris announced plans to resume production of the air-launched Scalp-EG in 2025 following a 15-year gap.
Scalp Naval
Based on the air-launched Scalp-EG, the naval variant is reported to have a strike range of up to 1,000 kilometers (621 miles), nearly double that of its airborne counterpart.
Measuring 6.5 meters (21 feet) in length and weighing around 1,400 kilograms (3,086 pounds), the NCM carries an advanced warhead designed to strike hardened, land-based strategic targets.
The missile uses inertial navigation, GPS, and a radio altimeter for precise low-altitude flight, with an infrared seeker guiding the warhead to within about a meter (3 feet) of the target in the final phase.
It can be launched from a surface vessel’s vertical launch systems or from the torpedo tubes of submarines.
