MBDA Deluge is a French one-way effector, a ground-launched turbojet attack munition built for saturation strikes at a range MBDA gives as up to 500 km. Designed for mass production, Deluge was designated ONE WAY EFFECTOR until MBDA renamed it in June 2026.
Deluge is in development. France’s Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA) signed the first contract on 22 January 2026, with deliveries from 2027.
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Key facts
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | DELUGE (ex-ONE WAY EFFECTOR) |
| MBDA product line | Tactical Strike |
| Lead MBDA entity | Not disclosed |
| Range | Up to 500 km (MBDA-stated) |
| Speed | Approx. 400 km/h (MBDA-stated) |
| Payload | 50 kg class (MBDA); 40 kg (reported) |
| Wingspan | 3 m (MBDA-stated); other figures reported |
| Propulsion | Turbojet (MBDA-stated) |
| Guidance | Preset coordinates, GNSS-denied capable; no seeker disclosed |
| Unit cost | Not disclosed |
What is the MBDA Deluge?
MBDA Deluge is a munition of attrition. MBDA’s Deluge product page says it generates “saturation effects against defended targets and air defence systems”.
Deluge is fired from the ground at fixed coordinates with no disclosed seeker, a one-way attack drone rather than a cruise missile.
Who makes the MBDA Deluge?
MBDA is owned by Airbus and BAE Systems at 37.5% each, with Leonardo at 25%.
MBDA has not stated which entity leads Deluge. MBDA France is a weak inference from the customer, the DGA, and from French partner Aviation Design, not from any company statement.
Stéphane Reb is Managing Director of MBDA France. Eric Béranger is chief executive until 31 October 2026, when Jean-Brice Dumont succeeds him.
MBDA Deluge specifications
Speed is consistent at approximately 400 km/h (MBDA). Range is less settled: MBDA gives “up to 500 km”, Zone Militaire and The Defense Post “more than 500 km”.
Payload conflicts: MBDA states a “50 kg class payload”; Zone Militaire, The Defense Post and Army Technology report 40 kg.
Dimensions conflict more widely: a three-metre wingspan (MBDA) against 3.3 m (The Defense Post) and 3.9 m (Theatrum Belli), length 3 m or 2.5 m.
Breaking Defense reported GNSS-denied operation at the Paris unveiling, without describing the method.
How the MBDA Deluge is launched
Deluge is ground launched, fired in what MBDA calls “coordinated salvoes” on a mid-altitude cruise to predefined coordinates.
The Aviationist reported a launch ramp and Theatrum Belli four rounds in 15 minutes, with no launcher designation published.
MBDA Deluge programme timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 16 June 2025 | Unveiled as ONE WAY EFFECTOR, Paris Air Show |
| September 2025 | First prototype flight (MBDA-stated) |
| November 2025 | First live firing test (MBDA-stated) |
| 22 January 2026 | MBDA announces the first DGA contract |
| June 2026 | Renamed DELUGE at Eurosatory 2026 |
| 2027 | First production batch due |
What makes the MBDA Deluge different
The novelty is industrial. MBDA is routing Deluge around its own missile-grade supply chain into civil mass production, citing partnerships “with civilian industries, notably the mass production sector”.
That set includes Aviation Design and an automotive manufacturer MBDA has never named, the line by which MBDA expects volumes its missile plants cannot reach.
The claimed volumes are far apart. Hugo Coqueret, MBDA’s battlefield domain business development manager, said at Paris in June 2025 that output could reach 1,000 units a month; The Defense Post reported an initial rate near 100 a year.
MBDA has not said what triggers the surge line. Contracted under France’s Pacte Drones, Deluge sits in a push MBDA brands “smart mass”, alongside the MBDA Counter Mass Interceptor.
MBDA Deluge, MBDA Crossbow and MBDA RCM² compared
MBDA fields three products that coverage routinely conflates.
| System | MBDA line | Range | Payload | Launch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deluge | Tactical Strike | Up to 500 km | 50 kg class | Ground, salvo |
| MBDA Crossbow | Deep Strike | Over 800 km | Around 300 kg | Ground, container |
| RCM² | Deep Strike | Over 500 km | Not disclosed | Air, ground, naval |
Deluge is the cheap saturation round. MBDA Crossbow, unveiled at DSEI in September 2025 and flying under the UK’s Project Brakestop, is the 750 kg deep strike weapon.
RCM² is the remote carrier, given by MBDA as 400 kg and 5 m with ISR, electronic warfare and kinetic roles, plus loiter.
Deluge is not a loitering munition. A loitering munition orbits a target area, searches with an onboard sensor and is cued by an operator before impact.
Deluge is jet powered and flies to a coordinate, with no orbit phase. RCM² carries the loiter function, not Deluge.
MBDA Deluge compared to Helsing HX-2 and rivals
| System | Range | Propulsion | Unit cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deluge (MBDA, France) | Up to 500 km | Turbojet | Not disclosed |
| Crossbow (MBDA, UK) | Over 800 km | Turbojet | Not disclosed |
| HX-2 (Helsing, Germany) | Up to 100 km | Electric | Not disclosed |
| Virtus OWE-V (Stark, Germany) | Up to 100 km | Electric VTOL | Not disclosed |
| Barracuda-500M (Anduril, US) | Over 500 nm | Turbojet | About US$200,000 reported; US$216,000 is Taiwan’s co-production target |
Deluge and the Helsing HX-2 are not substitutes. Helsing states 100 km, electric propulsion, onboard AI and one-operator swarming.
Deluge sells reach and volume with no autonomy claim. Germany chose the other model, approving €268 million each to Helsing and Stark in February 2026.
Anduril’s Barracuda-500M anchors the US Family of Affordable Mass Missiles framework at a price MBDA has not matched, in a European field surveyed at MSPO 2026.
Who operates the MBDA Deluge?
No armed force operates Deluge, which is in development and not in service.
France is the only confirmed customer, under the DGA contract of 22 January 2026. Quantity, value and any export customer remain undisclosed.
What is not publicly known about Deluge
- Unit cost, contract value, quantity ordered and the lead MBDA national entity.
- Exact range: MBDA’s “up to 500 km” against “more than 500 km” reported.
- Warhead mass (50 kg class MBDA against 40 kg reported) and dimensions, three wingspan figures circulating.
- The automotive mass-production partner, referenced but unnamed.
- The GNSS-denied navigation method, though the capability itself is reported, plus accuracy and endurance.
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Frequently asked questions about the MBDA Deluge
What is the MBDA Deluge?
MBDA Deluge is a ground-launched one-way effector developed by MBDA and formerly designated ONE WAY EFFECTOR. Deluge is a turbojet one-way attack drone built for saturation raids against enemy air defences, at a range MBDA gives as up to 500 km.
Who makes the MBDA Deluge?
MBDA makes Deluge with French UAV manufacturer Aviation Design and unnamed partners including an automotive firm. MBDA is owned by Airbus and BAE Systems at 37.5% each and Leonardo at 25%, and has not confirmed which national entity leads Deluge.
How much does the MBDA Deluge cost?
The MBDA Deluge unit cost is not disclosed, and neither MBDA nor the DGA has published a contract value or an order quantity for the system. For scale, MBDA reported €5.8 billion of 2025 revenue and a €44.4 billion order backlog.
What is the range of the MBDA Deluge?
MBDA gives the MBDA Deluge range as up to 500 km, and that MBDA wording is the figure of record. Zone Militaire and The Defense Post render it as more than 500 km, an opposite reading MBDA has not resolved.
How fast is the MBDA Deluge?
MBDA states the Deluge cruise speed as approximately 400 km/h on a turbojet engine and a mid-altitude flight profile. The Defense Post and Zone Militaire agree at up to 400 km/h, below cruise missile speeds and above electric loitering munitions.
What warhead does the MBDA Deluge carry?
Sources conflict on the MBDA Deluge warhead. MBDA itself states a 50 kg class payload, while Zone Militaire, The Defense Post and Army Technology each report a 40 kg warhead, and Theatrum Belli specifies 40 kg of blast and fragmentation.
What is a loitering munition, and is the MBDA Deluge one?
A loitering munition orbits a target area, searches with an onboard sensor and is cued by an operator before impact. The MBDA Deluge is not one, because Deluge has no disclosed seeker or datalink and flies autonomously to a preset coordinate.
How does the MBDA Deluge compare to the Helsing HX-2?
MBDA Deluge and the Helsing HX-2 solve different problems. Helsing states the HX-2 reaches up to 100 km on electric propulsion with onboard AI and swarming, while MBDA Deluge is turbojet powered to 500 km with no autonomy claim attached.
