Profile
- Type
- Ship- and submarine-launched land-attack cruise missile
- Conflict side
- United States-led coalition
- Origin
- France
- Service note
- French Navy service and 2018 coalition strike use
Artillery
MdCN / SCALP Naval
MdCN, also known as SCALP Naval or NCM, is MBDA's French naval cruise missile for long-range precision attack from surface ships and submarines. In the 2018 Syria Missile Strikes, French forces used the weapon as part of the maritime deep-strike package against Syrian government chemical-weapons infrastructure.
- Conflict side
- United States-led coalition
- Built by
- MBDA
- Built in
- France
Service History
- In service
- French Navy FREMM frigate and Barracuda-class submarine weapon
- Used by
- French Navy
- Wars
- 2018 Syria Missile Strikes
Production History
Specifications
- Launch platforms
- Surface ships and submerged submarines
- Launcher
- A70 SYLVER vertical launcher for surface ships; 21-inch torpedo tube launch for submarines
- Weight
- 1,400 kg
- Length
- 6.5 m
- Mission
- Long-range deep strike against high-value targets
- Accuracy
- MBDA describes metric accuracy
Conflict Usage
- 2018 Syria Missile Strikes
- Side: United States-led coalitionRole: Naval deep-strike cruise missile
French forces fired MdCN/SCALP Naval missiles from the FREMM frigate Languedoc as part of the coalition salvo against the Him Shinshar chemical-weapons storage target in Syria.
MdCN / SCALP Naval Images
Related Weapon Systems
SCALP-EGAir-launched cruise missileSCALP-EG is the French-service version of the Storm Shadow/SCALP air-launched cruise missile, an MBDA deep-strike weapon built for pre-planned attacks on high-value fixed targets such as hardened facilities and key infrastructure. French Rafale and Mirage aircraft fired nine SCALP missiles during the 2018 Syria Missile Strikes, and Ukrainian Su-24 aircraft later used the weapon as a Western long-range precision-strike option in the Russia-Ukraine War.
Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyerGuided-missile destroyerThe Arleigh Burke class is the U.S. Navy's principal guided-missile destroyer family, built around Aegis sensors, Mk 41 vertical launch cells, and multi-mission air, surface, subsurface, ballistic-missile-defense, and land-attack roles. In the United States-Iran Conflict, official U.S. imagery documented multiple DDG 51-class ships firing Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles during Operation Epic Fury.
AGM-158 JASSMAir-launched standoff cruise missileThe AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile is Lockheed Martin's low-observable, subsonic air-launched cruise missile family built to let bomber and fighter aircraft strike heavily defended, high-value targets from outside many air-defense envelopes. Its documented combat use includes baseline AGM-158A launches from B-1B bombers in the 2018 Syria missile strikes, AGM-158B use during Operation Inherent Resolve, and large-scale JASSM-family employment during the United States-Iran Conflict's Operation Epic Fury against Iran.
BGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack MissileShip- and submarine-launched land-attack cruise missileThe BGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, often abbreviated TLAM, is a U.S. all-weather, long-range subsonic cruise missile used by naval forces for deep precision strikes from surface ships and submarines. Modern Block IV and Block V weapons combine low-altitude flight, GPS-aided navigation, terrain matching, and in-flight retargeting, with recent documented use in Syria, the 2018 Syria Missile Strikes, Yemen, the Red Sea Crisis, and U.S. strikes on Iran.
Army Tactical Missile System / ATACMSShort-range tactical ballistic missileThe Army Tactical Missile System, commonly known as ATACMS, is a U.S. road-mobile short-range ballistic missile fired from M270 MLRS and M142 HIMARS launchers. In the United States-Iran Conflict, U.S. artillery units used ATACMS as a land-based deep-strike weapon during Operation Epic Fury, including reported strikes against Iranian naval vessels.
HarpoonCoastal and anti-ship cruise missile systemHarpoon is a U.S.-origin all-weather anti-ship cruise missile family built around active radar terminal homing and sea-skimming flight. In the Russia-Ukraine War, Ukraine received land-based Harpoon coastal defense systems and adapted truck-launched RGM-84 missiles to threaten Russian surface ships operating near the Black Sea coast.Sources
MdCN / NCMPublisher: MBDA | Note: Supports manufacturer background, launch modes, mission description, and published specifications for MdCN/NCM. | Accessed: 2026-06-20DoD Syria Strike BriefingPublisher: U.S. Central Command | Note: Supports 2018 Syria Missile Strikes direct use: French naval cruise missiles were fired by coalition forces against the Him Shinshar chemical-weapons storage target. | Accessed: 2026-06-20U.S., French Warships Launch Attacks on Chemical Weapons Targets in SyriaPublisher: USNI News | Note: Supports 2018 Syria Missile Strikes direct use: MdCN/SCALP Naval missiles were fired by the French frigate Languedoc during the Syria strike operation. | Accessed: 2026-06-20FREMM Aquitaine MdCN Test Launch ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a Marine nationale MdCN test-launch photo from FREMM Aquitaine, licensed under Licence Ouverte 2.0. | Accessed: 2026-06-20MdCN NCM Side-View DiagramPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a CC BY 4.0 side-view diagram of the MdCN/NCM missile. | Accessed: 2026-06-20MdCN NCM Scale DiagramPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a CC BY 4.0 scaled side-view diagram of the MdCN/NCM missile. | Accessed: 2026-06-20