Defense company MBDA has completed a validation firing of its TESEO MK2/E anti-ship missile system as part of a development program for the Italian Navy.
The approximately 20-minute piloted cruise flight validated the missile’s range and overall system design, according to MBDA. The test follows a 2024 firing that validated the design of the missile’s new components and aerodynamic configuration.
The company said the latest trial is part of the qualification process and is expected to support the completion of the development phase before the program enters production. First deliveries are targeted for 2028.
The TESEO MK2/E program was launched in 2021 under a contract with Italy’s National Directorate of Naval Armaments covering development, integration and qualification of the missile system. A production contract was signed in 2025.
The missile is being developed for the Italian Navy’s fleet of PPA multipurpose combat ships, DDX next-generation destroyers, FREMM frigates and Horizon-class destroyers. It is also planned for integration on future FREMM EVO frigates.
The TESEO MK2/E is equipped with a new active electronically scanned array (AESA) radio-frequency seeker and a satellite data link that enables in-flight missile control. MBDA said the system also provides shorter reaction times and enhanced mission-planning capabilities.
The company said these features are intended to enable the missile to engage both sea and land targets at longer ranges than previous-generation TESEO systems.
The TESEO family is also known internationally as OTOMAT.