MBDA Deluge

History

The Deluge, formerly designated ONE WAY EFFECTOR, is a one-way attack munition developed by MBDA. The system was unveiled at the Paris Air Show on 16 June 2025. The first prototype flight was conducted in September 2025, followed by the first live firing test in November 2025. France's Direction Générale de l'Armement (DGA) signed the first contract on 22 January 2026, with deliveries scheduled from 2027. MBDA renamed the system DELUGE at Eurosatory in June 2026.

On 8 October 2026, at the Land Forces 2026 exhibition in Perth, MBDA displayed the system in Australia for the first time and signed a memorandum of understanding with NIOA to explore Australian production. This builds on a November 2025 agreement between the two companies to explore domestic production of warheads for MBDA's Mistral missile family.

Design

Deluge is a ground-launched, turbojet-powered expendable one-way attack munition designed to conduct saturation attacks against defended targets, including air-defence systems. It flies on a mid-altitude profile to preset coordinates in coordinated salvoes. The system is capable of GNSS-denied operation, though the specific navigation method has not been disclosed. No onboard seeker has been disclosed. Deluge is not a loitering munition; it has no orbit phase and flies autonomously to a predefined coordinate.

The system was designed for high-rate production in partnership with civilian industries, including the French UAV manufacturer Aviation Design and an unnamed automotive partner. MBDA's battlefield domain business development manager Hugo Coqueret stated at the June 2025 unveiling that output could reach 1,000 units per month, while The Defense Post reported an initial rate near 100 per year. Deluge is capable of integrating available warheads, including M795 projectile casings produced by Rheinmetall NIOA Munitions in Maryborough, Queensland, under an AUD 72 million (USD 50 million) Australian government contract awarded in June 2026.

Specifications

• Propulsion: Turbojet
• Range: Up to 500 km (MBDA-stated); more than 500 km reported by other sources
• Speed: Approximately 400 km/h (MBDA-stated); Mach 0.4 (NIOA-stated)
• Payload: 50 kg class (MBDA-stated); 40 kg reported by other sources
• Wingspan: 3 m (MBDA-stated); 3.3 m and 3.9 m reported by other sources
• Launch: Ground, coordinated salvoes
• Guidance: Preset coordinates, GNSS-denied capable; no seeker disclosed

Program status

Deluge is in development and not yet in service. France is the only confirmed customer. Quantity, contract value, and any export customers remain undisclosed.