Stratus RS Missile Targets Far Longer Range
The missile is in development for France and the United Kingdom, with flight testing expected before 2030 and service entry at the start of the 2030s.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Quantum Computing
Live Poll
Do you think the U.S. should spend more on its military?
MBDA is targeting a range for its Stratus RS missile that far exceeds the Exocet's range of more than 200 kilometers. The missile is in development for France and the United Kingdom and is still at the research and development stage, with MBDA awaiting a development contract from France's DGA.
Why it matters
The Stratus family signals a shift toward longer-range, high-speed cruise missiles built around throttled liquid ramjet propulsion, a technology MBDA already uses in its Meteor air-to-air missile. The program also reflects a multinational push, with Italy partnering on the stealthy Stratus LO subsonic cruise missile.
The Exocet anti-ship missile is cited with a range of more than 200 kilometers as the reference point. No measured performance figures are yet available for the Stratus RS, which remains in development.
The players
MBDA
A European missile maker whose portfolio includes the Meteor air-to-air missile, which uses ramjet technology, and the Stratus family under development.
Thales
A French defense electronics firm providing the seeker technology for the Stratus RF missile.
DGA
France's defense procurement agency, whose development contract for the Stratus RS MBDA is awaiting.
The details
The Stratus RS will use a liquid ramjet engine, an air-breathing jet that compresses incoming air through the missile's forward motion rather than carrying oxidizer, and its throttle lets operators adjust thrust during flight. Stratus RF will pair a radio-frequency seeker, a sensor that homes in on emitted or reflected radio waves, with synthetic aperture radar, which builds high-resolution images by combining radar returns over the missile's motion, with Thales supplying the seeker technology. The high-speed missile is designed to combine very low or very high trajectories to defeat hard-to-destroy targets, and both Stratus missiles will be launched from aircraft including the Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon.
Timeline
Flight testing of both Stratus missiles is expected to begin before the end of the decade.
The Stratus missiles are slated to enter service at the beginning of the 2030s.
Production of the updated Naval Cruise Missile is expected to begin in early 2030.
The Tech Race
The Stratus family is being developed jointly by France, the United Kingdom, and Italy, placing European missile makers in a multinational effort to field long-range, jam-resistant strike weapons. MBDA's use of ramjet propulsion in Meteor provides the technical foundation for the Stratus RS design.
Availability for these missiles is not yet established, since the program awaits a development contract and flight testing has not begun. The timeline points to service entry at the beginning of the 2030s, with no pricing disclosed.
The takeaway
Watch whether the DGA awards MBDA the development contract for the Stratus RS, a named milestone that would confirm the program's move from briefing to funded development. Flight testing of both Stratus missiles before the end of the decade will be the next verifiable marker of the range and jam-resistance claims.
What happens next
Full development of the Stratus RF missile is expected to start very soon, with flight testing of both Stratus missiles before the end of the decade and service entry at the beginning of the 2030s.
Further reading
Explore more developments across Quantum Computing for the broader research landscape.
Live Poll
Do you think the U.S. should spend more on its military?
