France hands over 5th generation Akeron anti-tank missile systems to Ukraine

This was reported on Twitter by Opexnews, citing a statement by Jean-Louis Thiériot, Vice President of the National Defense Commission and the French Armed Forces.

According to the vice president, an unspecified number of these ATGMs and missiles were handed over to Ukraine as part of military aid. This was not previously reported publicly.

“Today it is clear that the weapons we are sending are good and work. The Caesar, Mistral and the Akerons we have sent are performing well,” Jean-Louis Thiériot said.

For reference

Ukraine’s Militarny website notes that the Akeron MP is a lightweight multi-purpose missile that weighs about 15 kg and has a range of over 4,000 meters. The system is relatively compact, so a team of several infantrymen can operate the Akeron MP. The missile can also be launched from vehicles.

The anti-tank missile uses a "fire and forget" guidance system. That is, the military only needs to point the missile at the target and fire.

The missile's infrared optical homing system allows it to be aimed at a target autonomously and without additional input, so the soldier can leave the firing position immediately after launch.

In addition, Akeron MP is equipped with a fiber-optic connection to the launcher, which provides a "human-in-the-loop" mode in which the missile is launched without being aimed at a specific target.

• On February 14, a lot of American military equipment, probably destined for Ukraine, was spotted in the German port of Bremerhaven.