MBDA reports that it successfully demonstrated the use of the Mistral missile against fast boats such as Fast Inshore Attack Craft (FIACs) in late December. The demonstration firing was performed from a SIMBAD-RC automated naval turret firing from the land against a fast-moving remotely-controlled semi-rigid boat more than three kilometres off the coast.

The scenario was intended to be representative of the self-protection of a vessel against an asymmetric threat (commando or terrorist attack). A number of foreign delegations attended the demonstration.

In its latest version currently in service with the French armed forces, the Mistral is an air defence missile equipped with an imaging infrared seeker with advanced image-processing capabilities that allow it to engage low thermal signature targets, such as UAVs, missiles and fast boats, from a long distance, whilst at the same time offering excellent resistance to countermeasures.

The SIMBAD-RC is a remotely-controlled very short range naval air defence system that provides highly efficient capacities against a wide range of threats, from combat aircraft through anti-ship missiles to small-sized threats such as UAVs.

The system is designed for ease of installation and thus provides small units or support vessels with a true self-defence capacity, or can even ensure reinforced defence for the other types of surface vessels. Each turret supports two ready-to-fire Mistral missiles.