Missile MICA NG

The MICA NG (New Generation) is the second-generation development of the MICA air-to-air and surface-to-air missile family. Development began in late 2018 under a French procurement contract that also covered refurbishment of existing MICA stocks and the production of several hundred new-generation rounds. It replaces the in-service MICA on the Rafale and is integrated as part of the aircraft's F4 standard. First deliveries to the French armed forces are planned from 2026, preceded by qualification firings across the missile's versions, altitudes, and flight speeds. A first supersonic launch from a Rafale took place in June 2026 at the DGA missile test range on the Mediterranean coast.

The MICA NG keeps the external dimensions and weight of the original MICA, remaining compatible with existing aircraft launchers, vertical launch systems, and ground platforms without modification. Miniaturized internal electronics free volume for a new dual-pulse rocket motor: the second pulse adds energy late in flight, extending range by up to 40% over the original MICA and preserving maneuverability during the terminal phase. Thrust vector control provides agility immediately after launch and supports helmet-mounted sight cueing for off-boresight engagements. The missile remains a dual-role weapon, usable in both beyond-visual-range interception and short-range combat, with a 360-degree launch envelope combining lock-on before launch and lock-on after launch, including over-the-shoulder shots against targets in the rear sector. The warhead is a high-explosive focused-fragmentation type triggered by a multi-mode radio-frequency or laser proximity fuze, or by impact.

The MICA NG is produced in two interoperable seeker versions sharing a common airframe. The MICA NG EM uses an active radar seeker built around an AESA (active electronically scanned array), giving all-weather shoot-up and shoot-down capability and varied detection strategies. The MICA NG IR uses a passive imaging infrared seeker with a matrix sensor of greater sensitivity, intended to engage low-signature and stealthy targets as well as small unmanned aircraft, and able to feed infrared search-and-track imagery to the launch platform. Both seekers use a two-way datalink for midcourse updates. Built-in monitoring of each round reduces maintenance and ownership costs.

The missile arms the Rafale and is offered in surface-to-air configurations derived from the VL MICA system for ground batteries and naval vertical launch cells. France is the lead operator. Egypt ordered MICA NG alongside earlier MICA variants in 2025 for its Rafale fleet and is the launch customer for the naval VL MICA NG, fitted to its Gowind corvettes. Serbia ordered Rafale F4 aircraft equipped with the missile in 2024, and naval MICA NG has been selected for Indonesian frigates. The original MICA, of which the family has sold more than 6,000 rounds, continues in service during the transition.