France conducted the first supersonic launch of the MICA NG (Missile for Interception, Combat, and Self-Defence, Next Generation) air-to-air missile from a Rafale fighter jet on June 1, 2026, at the Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA) Missile Testing Centre’s Mediterranean site.
[#Essai 🚀] Succès du premier tir du missile MICA NG depuis un Rafale en vol supersonique
Ce tir, réalisé le 1er juin 2026, marque une étape clé vers la qualification de ce système d’arme de nouvelle génération ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/jbcNWtWrmK
— Direction générale de l’armement 🇫🇷 (@DGA) June 5, 2026
MBDA confirmed the firing was the second MICA NG development shot from a Rafale, following the first guided launch on June 19, 2025. Teams from MBDA, DGA, Dassault Aviation, and the French Air and Space Force all participated.
The test was designed specifically to evaluate the infrared seeker’s performance at speeds exceeding Mach 1, conditions under which aerodynamic heating reduces thermal contrast between a target and its background, making detection progressively harder.
MBDA stated the trial validated the full deployment chain of the infrared variant, including seeker acquisition, target tracking, missile guidance, and aircraft-weapon integration under those demanding conditions.
The missile’s seeker uses a matrix imaging sensor to automatically correct its flight path based on infrared radiation emitted by the target, and the June 2026 result confirmed that sensor remained effective despite the elevated ambient temperatures associated with supersonic flight.
The MICA NG addresses core limitations of the original MICA, which entered service in the mid-1990s with a single-pulse solid-fuel motor that loses energy during the terminal phase of flight.
The upgraded variant introduces a dual-pulse rocket motor that fires a second propulsion phase late in the engagement to preserve speed and maneuverability at range.
MBDA states the change produces a range increase of up to 40%, putting estimated engagement distance between 52 and 70 miles, though no official confirmed figure has yet been released.
The radar-guided version, the MICA EM NG, replaces the previous seeker with a miniaturized active electronically scanned array (AESA) antenna, a solution currently found in only a handful of missiles worldwide.
The MICA NG uniquely combines an advanced AESA radar seeker with dual-pulse propulsion, whereas newer AIM-120 variants use single-pulse motors that lose energy at long ranges. This second burn preserves vital terminal-phase maneuverability, making the MICA NG the only lightweight Western missile capable of reliably tracking modern maneuvering fighters, cruise missiles, drones, and low-signature threats.
Under contracts signed in late 2018 and March 2021 under the 2019-2025 Military Programming Law (Loi de Programmation Militaire), France ordered 567 operational MICA NG rounds, with series production targeted for 2026.
The missile shares its airframe dimensions with the current MICA, 3.1 meters in length, 160 millimeters in diameter, and 112 kilograms, allowing it to be carried interchangeably on the Rafale alongside Meteor missiles without changes to handling procedures.
Additional firings across varied speeds, altitudes, and engagement geometries are scheduled as the program moves toward qualification. A surface-launched version, the VL MICA NG, is also in development for ground and naval platforms.
According to Interesting Engineering, the successful test validates the MICA NG program’s maturity, securing French air superiority while its VL MICA NG variant protects naval and land assets with advanced sensors, range, and flexibility.
