Mistral air-to-air missile

Also known as

Mistral
Mistral 3
Mistral ATAM
Missile Transportable Anti-aerien Leger

Mistral is a French short-range infrared-homing missile family built by MBDA France. Its ATAM helicopter fit mounts four ready-to-fire missiles on twin launchers, while Mistral 3 adds a matrix-imager seeker and 8 km range.

Mistral air-to-air missile, Short-range air-to-air missile, Air Defense

Image source: File:Mistral-3.jpg

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin: France
Built by: MBDA France
Type: Short-range air-to-air missile
Service note: In service since 1990; Mistral 3 entered service in 2013.
Designed: 1974
Unit cost: Mistral 3 reported unit cost: US$545,600 (2024).
Produced: 1990-present

air defensefire-and-forgetinfrared homing MANPADSshort-range air defense

Specifications

Guidance: Infrared homing; fire-and-forget
Length: 1.86 m
Diameter: 90 mm
Mass: About 19.7 kg
Range: Up to 8 km (Mistral 3)
Warhead: 2.95 kg high-explosive fragmentation warhead with tungsten balls
Platforms: Portable launchers, vehicles, ships, and helicopters

Variants

Mistral 1
Mistral 2

Carrier Aircraft

MBDA documents the Mistral ATAM as a helicopter-mounted fit, and GlobalSecurity lists Mistral among the AW-109's air-to-air missile options.

Carrier

Carrier type

Carriage evidence

AW-109, Light twin-engine attack and utility helicopter, Aircraft & UAVs

Armed helicopter

GlobalSecurity lists Mistral among the AW-109's air-to-air missile options, and MBDA's ATAM documentation shows the family mounted on helicopter launchers.

Sources: GlobalSecurity A109 specifications, MISTRAL ATAM | MBDA

Service And Conflict Use

Service History

In service: In service since 1990; Mistral 3 entered service in 2013.

Media

Mistral air-to-air missile Images

Mistral air-to-air missile, Short-range air-to-air missile, Air Defense - view 1 — Source: File:Mistral-2.jpg

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Sources

Mistral (missile) - WikipediaPublisher: Wikipedia | Note: Supports the Mistral family description, origin, manufacturer context, service history, and baseline missile specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-27 MISTRAL 3 | MBDAPublisher: MBDA | Note: Supports Mistral 3 guidance, range, multi-platform use, and force-protection context. | Accessed: 2026-06-27 MISTRAL ATAM | MBDAPublisher: MBDA | Note: Supports the helicopter-mounted ATAM fit and the four-missile launcher context. | Accessed: 2026-06-27 GlobalSecurity A109 specificationsPublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Supports the AW-109's air-to-air missile options, including Mistral, for the carriedBy relationship. | Accessed: 2026-06-27 File:Mistral-3.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and licensing context for the primary missile image. | Accessed: 2026-06-27 File:Mistral-2.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and licensing context for a second missile image. | Accessed: 2026-06-27