MBDA will support the creation of a dedicated MICA missile MRO facility in India under a newly signed agreement with the Indian Air Force.
As part of the partnership, MBDA will deliver machinery, specialized tools, technical data packages, training programs, and engineering support, while the IAF will be tasked with building, operating, and sustaining the facility.
The planned hub is aimed at boosting India’s local defense maintenance ecosystem and improving repair and overhaul timelines for MICA missiles currently deployed by the Air Force.
The move complements the Indian government’s “Atmanirbhar Bharat” strategy, which emphasizes self-reliance in defense production and strategic technologies.
Integrated on the IAF’s Dassault Rafale and modernized Dassault Mirage 2000 aircraft built by Dassault Aviation, the MICA missile entered Indian operational service in 2016. The system is designed for both beyond-visual-range interception and close-combat engagements.
MICA is offered in two configurations: the RF MICA featuring an active radar seeker for adverse-weather combat, and the IR MICA using an imaging infrared seeker to lock onto thermal signatures.
The missile is 3.1 meters in length, 160 millimeters in diameter, and has a launch weight of 112 kilograms. Meanwhile, MBDA continues work on the advanced MICA NG (New Generation) missile.
