Montrouge/France – 24 April 2026 - The
European Hypersonic Defence Interceptor System (HYDIS) Programme has
successfully achieved its Mission Definition Review (MDR) milestone, marking a
significant step forward in the development of a European capability to counter
emerging hypersonic and ballistic threats.
The milestone was formally validated on
24 April during a HYDIS Steering Committee meeting held at the premises of the
Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) in Montrouge. The approval
concludes nearly two years of intensive technical studies and close cooperation
between industry, participating nations and research organisations.
The MDR milestone is supported by the
delivery of the Mission Definition Report by MBDA. The report consolidates a
coherent, consistent and agreed set of user requirements for an interceptor
system, reflecting the operational needs expressed by the four HYDIS
Participating Nations: France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.
In parallel, a comprehensive threats
characterisation catalogue was produced by three leading European Research and
Technology Organisations: CIRA (Italy), ONERA (France) and TNO (the
Netherlands). The work covered detailed analyses of physical parameters such as
size, mass, geometry, materials, range and payload, as well as aerodynamic
behaviour and the aerothermal environment.
The catalogue also includes the
modelling of manoeuvrable trajectories and infrared and radio-frequency
signatures, enhanced by penetration aids, for a range of challenging threats.
These include hypersonic glide vehicles, hypersonic cruise missiles and
manoeuvring ballistic missiles that the future HYDIS interceptor system is
intended to counter.
From 26 March, 2026 onwards,
representatives from industry, the Participating Nations and OCCAR worked in
close collaboration to review and consolidate the findings of both the Mission
Definition Report and the threats characterisation catalogue. This process
resulted in a comprehensive set of requirements addressing expected operational
performance, platform integrability, life-cycle management and interoperability
with key capabilities such as space-based early warning and command-and-control
systems.
The review activities also led to the
finalisation of realistic and representative operational scenarios. These
scenarios will inform the next phase of modelling and simulation activities,
which are essential for preparation of the Final Concept Review (FCR) milestone
planned for the second half of 2026.
As an Observer nation, the United
Kingdom was invited to assess the MDR outcomes and conduct an initial
evaluation of the alignment between HYDIS and UK operational requirements,
supporting the shared objective of developing advanced defensive capabilities
against evolving hypersonic threats.
HYDIS is co-funded by the European
Union under the European Defence Fund and by the four Participating States —
France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. OCCAR has been entrusted by the
European Commission with the indirect management of the programme and acts as
Contracting Authority on behalf of the EU and the Member States.
Co-funded by
the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the
author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or
the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission
can be held responsible for them.
More information on the HYDIS programme
is available at:
https://www.occar.int/our-work/programmes/hydis-programme