Artillery

MdCN / SCALP Naval

Also known as
  • MdCN
  • Missile de Croisiere Naval
  • SCALP Naval
  • NCM
  • Naval Cruise Missile

MdCN, also called SCALP Naval or NCM, is MBDA's French naval cruise missile for precision land attack from FREMM frigates and Barracuda/Suffren-class submarines. MBDA describes the weapon as a very-long-range, metric-accuracy deep-strike missile launched either from A70 SYLVER vertical cells or 21-inch submarine torpedo tubes, and French forces used it operationally during the April 2018 U.S., UK, and French strikes in the 2011 Syrian Civil War.

MdCN / SCALP Naval, Ship- and submarine-launched land-attack cruise missile, Artillery
Image source: FREMM Aquitaine MdCN Test Launch Image

Role in Conflicts

2011 Syrian Civil War
Long-Range Strike
Side
U.S., UK, and French strike forces

French forces fired three MdCN/SCALP Naval missiles from the FREMM frigate Languedoc against the Him Shinshar chemical-weapons storage facility during the coalition strike package in Syria.

Role details
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
France
Built by
MBDA
Type
Ship- and submarine-launched land-attack cruise missile
Service note
French Navy service and 2018 coalition strike use
Designer
MBDA
Designed
French Ministry of Defence long-range naval cruise missile requirement for FREMM frigates and Barracuda submarines

Specifications

Launch platforms
French Navy FREMM frigates and Barracuda/Suffren-class submarines
Launcher
A70 SYLVER vertical launcher for surface ships; 21-inch torpedo tube launch for submerged submarines
Weight
1,400 kg
Length
6.5 m
Range
Several hundred kilometers according to the French DGA overview
Mission
Long-range deep strike against high-value land targets
Accuracy
MBDA describes metric accuracy; the French DGA compares impact precision with SCALP-EG
Variants

The MdCN/NCM family is split by launch environment: a surface-ship vertical-launch configuration for FREMM frigates and a submarine-launched configuration for Barracuda/Suffren-class boats.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
Surface-ship MdCN / NCMA70 SYLVER vertical-launch configuration

MBDA says the surface variant is designed for the compact A70 SYLVER vertical launcher; French Navy reporting places MdCN aboard FREMM frigates from 2017.

Sources: MdCN / NCM, French Navy 2024 MdCN Double Firing

Submarine-launched MdCN / NCM21-inch torpedo-tube launch from submerged submarines

MBDA describes a submerged-submarine launch mode through 21-inch torpedo tubes, and Naval Group reported a Suffren-class NCM firing during 2020 trials.

Sources: MdCN / NCM, Naval Group Suffren Delivery and NCM Trials

Launch Platforms

MdCN is a naval land-attack missile whose cataloged launch platforms are French FREMM frigates and Barracuda/Suffren-class nuclear attack submarines.

LauncherLauncher typeLaunch evidence
Aquitaine class, Multi-mission frigate class, Naval SystemsAquitaine classFREMM frigate class

French FREMM frigates carry MdCN for deep inland strike; Languedoc fired three missiles in the 2018 Syria strike and Aquitaine took part in a 2024 synchronized training firing.

Sources: U.S., French Warships Launch Attacks on Chemical Weapons Targets in Syria, French Navy 2024 MdCN Double Firing, Naval Group Surface Ships

Suffren-class submarine, Nuclear-powered attack submarine, Naval SystemsSuffren-class submarineNuclear-powered attack submarine

The Barracuda/Suffren submarine path uses submerged launch from 21-inch torpedo tubes; Naval Group reported an NCM firing during Suffren trials on October 20, 2020, and the French Navy paired a Suffren-class submarine with FREMM Aquitaine for a 2024 synchronized firing.

Sources: MdCN / NCM, Naval Group Suffren Delivery and NCM Trials, French Navy 2024 MdCN Double Firing

Timeline

MdCN / SCALP Naval Key Events

  1. Combat firing from Languedoc

    During the Syria missile strikes, the French FREMM frigate Languedoc fired three naval SCALP/MdCN missiles from the Eastern Mediterranean at the Him Shinshar chemical-weapons storage facility.

    Sources: DoD Syria Strike Briefing, U.S., French Warships Launch Attacks on Chemical Weapons Targets in Syria

  2. Suffren NCM trial firing

    Naval Group reported that Suffren trials concluded with an SM39 firing on September 23 and a naval cruise missile firing on October 20, validating the new submarine-launched strike path.

    Sources: Naval Group Suffren Delivery and NCM Trials

  3. Synchronized surface and submarine firing

    The French Navy reported a simultaneous training firing by FREMM Aquitaine and a Suffren-class submarine against a land target at the DGA missile-test site in Landes.

    Sources: French Navy 2024 MdCN Double Firing

Media

MdCN / SCALP Naval Videos

MdCN / SCALP Naval Images

MdCN / SCALP Naval, Ship- and submarine-launched land-attack cruise missile, Artillery - view 1
Source: MdCN NCM Side-View Diagram
MdCN / SCALP Naval, Ship- and submarine-launched land-attack cruise missile, Artillery - view 2
Source: MdCN NCM Scale Diagram
Related Weapon Systems
Storm Shadow, Air-launched cruise missile, MunitionsMunitionsStorm ShadowAir-launched cruise missileStorm Shadow is the UK name for the Franco-British Storm Shadow/SCALP air-launched cruise missile, a low-observable deep-strike weapon built by MBDA for precision attacks on hardened or high-value fixed targets. RAF Tornado GR4s used Storm Shadow from the Iraq War through Libya and the April 2018 U.S., UK, and French strikes in the 2011 Syrian Civil War, UK-supplied missiles later gave Ukraine a longer-range conventional strike option from adapted Su-24 aircraft, UK parliamentary records document Saudi use in Yemen, and the UK-France 2025 defence declaration tied new SCALP and Storm Shadow acquisition to production-line upgrades.
SCALP-EG, Air-launched cruise missile, MunitionsMunitionsSCALP-EGAir-launched cruise missileSCALP-EG is the French-service member of the Storm Shadow/SCALP air-launched cruise-missile family, an MBDA deep-strike weapon built for pre-planned attacks on high-value fixed targets such as hardened facilities and key infrastructure. French aircraft used SCALP-EG in Libya, Iraq and the 2018 Syria strikes, Ukrainian Su-24 aircraft later carried it as a Western long-range precision-strike option, Indian Rafales were reported to have used SCALP during Operation Sindoor in the 2025 India-Pakistan Conflict, and the UK-France 2025 defence declaration tied new SCALP and Storm Shadow acquisition to production-line upgrades.
BGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, Ship- and submarine-launched land-attack cruise missile, MunitionsMunitionsBGM-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. long-range subsonic cruise missile used for deep precision strikes from naval surface ships and submarines, with newer variants also adding maritime-strike and warhead modernization paths. Documented combat use spans the 1991 Gulf War through Libya, Syria, Yemen, the Red Sea Crisis, Operation Inherent Resolve, and U.S. strikes on Iranian targets during the 2020 United States-Iran Conflict and 2025 Israel-Iran Conflict.

Sources

MdCN / NCMPublisher: MBDA | Note: Supports manufacturer background, ship and submarine launch modes, A70 SYLVER and 21-inch torpedo-tube compatibility, mission description, and published specifications for MdCN/NCM. | Accessed: 2026-06-29French DGA MdCN OverviewPublisher: Ministere des Armees | Note: Supports French government background for MdCN, including FREMM and Barracuda launch-platform context, several-hundred-kilometer range wording, impact-precision comparison with SCALP-EG, and MBDA as prime contractor. | Accessed: 2026-06-29French Navy 2024 MdCN Double FiringPublisher: Marine nationale | Note: Supports French Navy service background: MdCN embarked on FREMM frigates since 2017, MdCN carried on Suffren-class submarines, and a 2024 synchronized training firing by FREMM Aquitaine and a Suffren-class submarine. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Naval Group Suffren Delivery and NCM TrialsPublisher: Naval Group | Note: Supports Suffren/Barracuda submarine background, NCM as the class deep-strike capability, and the October 20, 2020 naval cruise missile firing during Suffren trials. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Naval Group Surface ShipsPublisher: Naval Group | Note: Supports FREMM surface-ship background and Naval Group's description of FREMM as a multimission frigate with deep inland strike among its roles. | Accessed: 2026-06-29DoD Syria Strike BriefingPublisher: U.S. Central Command | Note: Supports April 2018 U.S., UK, and French strikes in the 2011 Syrian Civil War direct use: coalition forces used three naval cruise missiles against the Him Shinshar chemical-weapons storage facility and the French frigate Languedoc fired three missiles from the Eastern Mediterranean. | Accessed: 2026-06-29U.S., French Warships Launch Attacks on Chemical Weapons Targets in SyriaPublisher: USNI News | Note: Supports April 2018 U.S., UK, and French strikes in the 2011 Syrian Civil War direct use: MdCN/SCALP Naval missiles were fired by the French frigate Languedoc during the Syria strike operation. | Accessed: 2026-06-29FREMM 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: 2026-06-29MdCN 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: 2026-06-29MdCN 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: 2026-06-29