Belgium has signed a 226.7-million-euro ($263-million) contract to acquire Mistral very-short-range air defense missile systems as part of efforts to strengthen its protection against modern aerial threats. France’s defense procurement agency will oversee the contract, with deliveries planned over a six-year period.
The purchase forms part of a 2024 multinational framework agreement involving five countries for the joint acquisition of Mistral missiles produced by MBDA. The initiative could see more than 1,500 missiles procured collectively and is eligible for funding support from the European Union’s 310-million-euro ($360-million) program aimed at encouraging cooperative defense procurement.
Designed for flexible deployment, the Mistral system can be integrated on ground vehicles, naval platforms, helicopters, or used in a man-portable configuration. Its latest version, the Mistral 3, provides an interception range of up to 8,000 meters and can engage aerial targets at altitudes of up to 6,000 meters.
The missile is supersonic and highly agile, featuring a fire-and-forget infrared imaging seeker supported by advanced image-processing capabilities. According to manufacturer data, it achieves a success rate of around 96 percent and can effectively defeat low-thermal-signature threats such as drones, turbojet missiles, and fast attack craft.
