Today, we will talk about the Akeron MP and LP, as well as the dedicated naval version, the SEA Akeron.
To begin with, this is the ONLY 5th-generation anti-tank missile in the entire world, and it expands the already broad and highly modern family of anti-tank systems produced by the European Consortium MBDA.

Entering service in 2018 after a design phase that lasted from 2010 to 2015, the missile met the French Armed Forces' requirement for a system to replace the MILAN missiles on production lines, while keeping costs low by utilizing dual-use electronics readily available on the civilian market.
MBDA initially proposed the MILAN-ER, but it was rejected because it lacked lock-on-after-launch capability. The situation became so critical that the French Government purchased American Javelin missiles; the Akeron had to be developed quickly if sovereignty over anti-tank weapons was to be preserved.

MP stands for Moyenne Portée, meaning medium range. The system weighs 26 kg, including the tripod and the firing unit. The latter is fully digitized, ergonomic, and equipped with latest-generation dual infrared sensors, a compass, and daylight optics, making it a valuable tool for reconnaissance.
The missile can penetrate more than one meter of steel and two meters of concrete, as well as ERA (Explosive Reactive Armor), and anti-personnel warhead options are available. With a range of 5 km, it ranks at the higher end of armor penetration compared to similar systems. As mentioned earlier, it features LOAL (Lock-On After Launch) capability. This allows a third-party operator to designate a hidden target, enabling the launcher to fire the missile without a direct line of sight.

The missile then searches for the target while in flight. During this phase, it can be guided by the operator via its camera or use its heat-seeking sensor to strike automatically.
The dual IR seeker operates on two different search bands, allowing it to see through smoke screens and distinguish the heat of a decoy from that of a tank by recognizing how heat is distributed across the target's surface.
The missile is also integrated into the turret of the Jaguar armored vehicle (which you can check out in our previous posts). The SEA Akeron is mounted on Narwhal turrets or specialized lightweight masts, though many examples of simple retrofits have been observed. Furthermore, its guidance system is updated to prevent interference from sea surface reflections.

The Akeron LP is designed to arm French Eurocopter Tiger helicopters. It has a range exceeding 8 km, which extends up to 20 km when launched from an aircraft. The missile is in an advanced testing phase; in fact, just this April, it successfully struck a moving target 6 km off the coast during a flight test, proving its anti-ship capabilities.
In addition to the existing IR/TV guidance, it offers an alternative semi-active laser (SAL) guidance system. Like the MP version, it can execute Top Attack missions, targeting the thinner roof armor of main battle tanks.

More than 3,000 Akeron MP missiles are currently in advanced delivery to the French Armed Forces, with others going to the Egyptian Navy. Belgium follows with 760 missiles ordered, while Cyprus and Luxembourg have also placed orders for small batches. Sweden is currently ordering the missile and collaborating on a national variant.