MBDA Crossbow is a ground-launched one-way effector built by MBDA UK and listed under Deep Strike, formally designated CROSSBOW OWE(H), or One-Way Effector Heavy. MBDA gives the range as over 800 km, the launch weight as 750 kg and the payload as around 300 kg.
MBDA unveiled Crossbow at DSEI 2025 in London. MBDA announced first firings on 19 June 2026, conducted in December 2025 and February 2026.
MBDA states it is able to produce Crossbow “in 2026, at scale, at pace”. No armed force operates Crossbow.
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Key facts
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| System name | CROSSBOW, formally CROSSBOW OWE(H) |
| Category | Ground-launched one-way effector |
| Product line | Deep Strike (MBDA classification) |
| Manufacturer | MBDA UK |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Range | Over 800 km (MBDA-stated) |
| Payload | Around 300 kg, kinetic or non-kinetic modular (MBDA-stated, inconsistent on MBDA’s own page) |
| Launch weight | 750 kg (MBDA-stated) |
| Dimensions | Length 5.3 m, diameter 350 mm, wingspan 3 m (MBDA-stated) |
| Propulsion | Turbojet (MBDA-stated) |
| Speed | Not disclosed by MBDA. Shephard Media reported high subsonic |
| Guidance | GNSS, inertial navigation, AI image-based navigation, terminal sensor (MBDA-stated) |
| Launcher | Any 20 ft ISO-compliant vehicle, single or double round (MBDA-stated) |
| Production status | In development. MBDA states it is able to produce “in 2026, at scale, at pace” |
| Unit cost | Not disclosed |
| Operators | None |
What is MBDA Crossbow?
MBDA Crossbow is an expendable turbojet-powered strike munition, launched from the ground and flown one way into its target.
MBDA calls Crossbow “a one-way effector” characterised by “rapid development cycles, reuse, modularity”. Reuse means reused subsystem designs, not a recoverable airframe.
Crossbow is not a remote carrier and not a loyal wingman. MBDA’s remote carrier is RCM squared, the Remote Carrier Multidomain Multirole Effector.
MBDA lists Crossbow under Deep Strike alongside Storm Shadow, SCALP, Taurus and the Land Cruise Missile System, and aims it at “static and High Value Targets”.
Who makes MBDA Crossbow?
MBDA UK makes Crossbow. Naval Technology reported from DSEI 2025 that it is the British entry, separate from a lower-cost French one-way effector shown alongside.
That French weapon is now MBDA Deluge, a smaller munition in MBDA’s Tactical Strike line.
MBDA is owned by Airbus and BAE Systems at 37.5% each and Leonardo at 25%. Eric Béranger is chief executive until 31 October 2026, when Jean-Brice Dumont succeeds him.
MBDA has named no Crossbow supplier, citing only “partner SMEs and primes from across UK and Europe”. The turbojet maker, AI navigation vendor, airframe subcontractor and production site are undisclosed.
MBDA reported 2025 revenue of €5.8 billion and will lift output 40% in 2026.
MBDA Crossbow specifications
MBDA publishes a fuller specification set for Crossbow than for most of its portfolio: over 800 km, 750 kg, 5.3 m long, 350 mm diameter, 3 m wingspan.
MBDA’s own product page carries a payload discrepancy: the specification block reads “> 300kg” while the body text describes “up to 300 kg”.
Around 300 kg is the safe reading. No warhead type is named, only “multiple warheads and fuzing options”.
Propulsion is a turbojet, which MBDA says supports long range and survivability. No engine supplier is named.
MBDA publishes no speed. Shephard Media reported Crossbow as high subsonic, and the UK requirement set a floor above 600 km/h.
Guidance combines GNSS, inertial navigation, AI image-based navigation and a terminal sensor, which Shephard Media put at technology readiness level 6 in September 2025.
An MBDA executive described it as matching satellite or Google Maps-type imagery against the weapon’s position, per Warsight. Accuracy is not disclosed.
How MBDA Crossbow is launched
Crossbow launches from the ground. No air-launched or naval variant has been announced.
MBDA states the system is “compatible with any 20ft ISO-compliant vehicle”, carrying “single or double OWE Heavy” installations on standard ISO locks. Commercial flatbed transport therefore works.
MBDA states mission planning interfaces connect to in-country BMC4I systems.
Launch method from the container, reload time and crew size are not disclosed.
MBDA Crossbow programme timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1 October 2024 | UK Ministry of Defence announces Project Brakestop |
| November 2024 | Brakestop requirement set: 500 km range, 225 kg warhead, above 600 km/h, roughly £400,000 per unit excluding warhead, at least 20 weapons a month, with no US components or US data. 27 bids received |
| February 2025 | Six companies awarded design contracts of roughly £5 million each |
| 9 September 2025 | MBDA unveils Crossbow at DSEI 2025 in London, alongside Akeron MBT 120, SPEAR Glide, Surface-Launched ASRAAM and FC/ASW |
| December 2025 | First Crossbow firing, during Brakestop flight testing at MOD Hebrides Range, managed by QinetiQ |
| February 2026 | Second Crossbow firing |
| 11 June 2026 | Crossbow featured in MBDA’s Eurosatory 2026 portfolio update |
| 19 June 2026 | MBDA announces successful first firings and states production at scale is achievable in 2026 |
| 22 June 2026 | UK Ministry of Defence awards Brakestop follow-on contracts of £15 million each to MBDA UK, MGI Engineering and Rotron Aerospace, covering 15 improved effectors per supplier plus launchers and support vehicles |
| 8-11 September 2026 | Crossbow displayed at MSPO 2026 in Kielce, Poland |
| 2026 | MBDA states it is able to produce Crossbow “at scale, at pace” |
What makes MBDA Crossbow different: built to a schedule, not a requirement
Crossbow’s distinguishing feature is its development pace and commercial posture.
MBDA states Crossbow “progressed from design to demonstration in just nine months in 2025”. Shephard Media reported a seven-month design window, so the accounts conflict.
MBDA calls this “designing and demonstrating a product that is mature and ready for customers ahead of any contract”.
The design uses military and commercial off-the-shelf subsystems, which MBDA says enables high-volume production.
Project Brakestop shaped the guidance package: the UK specified no US components and no US data, so AI image-based navigation removes dependence on US positioning.
Quwa’s coverage of Project Brakestop flight tests compares the three surviving designs.
MBDA Crossbow compared to rival one-way effectors and low-cost cruise missiles
| System | Maker | Range | Payload | Propulsion and speed | Unit cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crossbow OWE(H) | MBDA UK | Over 800 km (MBDA-stated) | Around 300 kg (MBDA-stated) | Turbojet, high subsonic (Shephard Media) | Not disclosed |
| TigerShark | MGI Engineering | Up to 900 km | Up to 300 kg | Jet with rocket-assisted take-off, 750 km/h | Not disclosed |
| SkyLance | Rotron Aerospace | 1,200 km at full payload, about 2,700 km reduced | 225 kg modular | Wankel rotary with rocket-assisted take-off, 600 km/h cruise | Not disclosed |
| MBDA Deluge | MBDA | Up to 500 km (MBDA-stated) | 50 kg class (MBDA-stated) | Turbojet, about 400 km/h | Not disclosed |
| Barracuda-500M | Anduril Industries | Above 500 nmi, about 930 km | 45 kg class | Turbojet, up to 500 kt | About US$200,000 reported (Forecast International). No contract value published |
| CMMT | Lockheed Martin | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Under US$150,000 target (Lockheed Martin-stated) |
| Ice Breaker | Rafael Advanced Defense Systems | 300 km | 113 kg | Turbojet, high subsonic | Not disclosed |
| Storm Shadow / SCALP | MBDA | Not disclosed by MBDA | Not disclosed by MBDA | Turbojet, high subsonic | Not disclosed |
Crossbow is the heaviest of the three Project Brakestop finalists at 750 kg, and the only one whose supplier base is entirely undisclosed. TigerShark reaches up to 900 km and SkyLance 1,200 km at full payload.
Crossbow carries around 300 kg against SkyLance’s 225 kg, in a single container-compatible round.
Against the American designs the picture inverts. Barracuda-500M and Lockheed Martin’s CMMT undercut Crossbow on price, and both carry a fraction of its payload.
Rafael’s Ice Breaker is a different trade at 300 km with a 113 kg warhead, per EDR Magazine.
Storm Shadow remains the high-end reference, and Crossbow absorbs targets that do not justify one.
Quwa’s MSPO 2026 survey recorded Crossbow, MBDA Deluge and a Barracuda-500M model in Kielce.
Who operates MBDA Crossbow?
No armed force operates MBDA Crossbow, and no production order has been placed.
Contracted: the UK Ministry of Defence holds a £15 million Project Brakestop contract from 22 June 2026, covering 15 improved effectors plus launchers and support vehicles.
Louise Sandher-Jones MP, Minister for the Armed Forces, said UK firms took the concept “from the drawing board to flight testing” in under a year.
Intended end user: Ukraine, and this phase includes testing there.
Prospective: the six European Long-Range Strike Approach nations, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
ELSA restructured into eight lead-nation implementation groups on 18 June 2026, one covering one-way-attack effectors above 500 km.
Prospective: Poland, where Crossbow appeared at MSPO 2026 with no requirement attached.
France is spoken for by MBDA’s own product: Deluge holds a first Direction générale de l’armement contract from January 2026.
The MBDA Counter Mass Interceptor sits on the other side, built to defeat the raids one-way effectors create.
Anduril, CoAspire and Zone 5 hold the American Family of Affordable Mass Missiles agreements, and MBDA holds no comparable multiyear instrument.
What is not publicly known about MBDA Crossbow
- Suppliers. No partner named: turbojet maker, AI navigation vendor and airframe subcontractor undisclosed.
- Unit cost. No Crossbow price exists. The £400,000 figure in circulation is the Brakestop requirement, not an MBDA quote.
- Production rate. None given. Brakestop required 20 a month; the contract covers 15 units.
- Payload. MBDA’s own page gives both “> 300kg” and “up to 300 kg”.
- Speed and production site. MBDA publishes neither. High subsonic comes from Shephard Media.
- Accuracy. No circular error probable or cruise altitude figure.
- Warhead. “Multiple warheads and fuzing options”, none named, and the non-kinetic option unexplained.
- Firing detail. No location or round count for the 2025 and 2026 firings.
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Frequently asked questions about MBDA Crossbow
What is MBDA Crossbow?
MBDA Crossbow is a ground-launched one-way effector from MBDA UK, listed under MBDA’s Deep Strike line and designated CROSSBOW OWE(H). MBDA gives the range as over 800 km and the payload as around 300 kg, and Crossbow is expendable rather than a remote carrier.
Who makes MBDA Crossbow?
MBDA UK makes Crossbow, and no Crossbow supplier has been named. MBDA is owned by Airbus and BAE Systems at 37.5% each and Leonardo at 25%, with Eric Béranger as chief executive until Jean-Brice Dumont succeeds him on 31 October 2026.
How much does MBDA Crossbow cost?
MBDA has not published a Crossbow unit price, and the £400,000 figure often quoted is the UK Ministry of Defence’s Project Brakestop requirement excluding the warhead, not an MBDA quotation. MBDA describes Crossbow only as balancing capability, cost and production at scale.
What is the range of MBDA Crossbow?
MBDA gives the Crossbow range as over 800 km on its product page, never a flat figure. MGI Engineering’s TigerShark reaches up to 900 km, and Rotron Aerospace’s SkyLance reaches 1,200 km at full payload and about 2,700 km reduced.
How fast is MBDA Crossbow?
MBDA publishes no Crossbow speed figure, though Shephard Media described it as high subsonic at DSEI 2025 and the UK Project Brakestop requirement set a floor above 600 km/h. Crossbow uses turbojet propulsion, which MBDA says supports long range and survivability.
What warhead does MBDA Crossbow carry?
MBDA states Crossbow carries a modular kinetic or non-kinetic payload of around 300 kg, with multiple warheads and fuzing options, and no warhead type is named. MBDA’s own page is inconsistent, giving both above 300 kg and up to 300 kg.
How is MBDA Crossbow launched?
MBDA Crossbow is launched from the ground and is compatible with any 20 ft ISO-compliant vehicle, taking single or double One-Way Effector Heavy installations on standard ISO locks. No air-launched or naval Crossbow exists, and reload time and crew size are undisclosed.
Is MBDA Crossbow in production?
MBDA Crossbow is not in serial production, though MBDA states it is able to produce Crossbow “in 2026, at scale, at pace” following firings in December 2025 and February 2026. MBDA invested in demonstrating Crossbow ahead of any contract, and no production site is named.
Who is buying MBDA Crossbow?
No armed force has bought MBDA Crossbow. The UK Ministry of Defence holds a £15 million Project Brakestop development contract from 22 June 2026 for 15 improved effectors plus launchers, with Ukraine the intended end user and ELSA nations as prospects.
How does MBDA Crossbow compare to Storm Shadow?
MBDA Crossbow is an expendable low-cost weapon built for mass, while Storm Shadow is a high-end air-launched cruise missile. Crossbow launches from a 20 ft ISO container to over 800 km, and MBDA positions it against targets that do not justify Storm Shadow.
