---
title: "Teseo MK2/E Anti-Ship Missile Tests: A New Milestone in Italian Navy Modernization"
description: "The Italian Navy and defense enterprises have successfully tested the upgraded Teseo MK2/E anti-ship missile with a range of up to 350 km and advanced guidance systems."
date: 2026-09-27T09:32:48.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/teseo-mk2-e-anti-ship-missile-tests
tags: [teseo-mk2-e, otomat, italian-navy, mbda, missile-tests]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Teseo MK2/E Anti-Ship Missile Tests: A New Milestone in Italian Navy Modernization

![Test launch of the Teseo MK2/E anti-ship missile by the Italian Navy](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/27/ispytaniya-protivokorabelnoy-rakety-teseo-mk2-e/ispytaniya-protivokorabelnoy-rakety-teseo-mk2-e-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- The modernization program for Otomat missiles to the Teseo MK2/E version began in 2021, with a production contract signed by 2025.
- The missile has a range of 350 km (up to 500 km according to some sources) and features a four-dimensional guidance system.
- Tests confirmed the missile's readiness for deployment on new classes of Italian Navy ships.

A European defense company, in cooperation with the Italian Navy, has conducted key tests to evaluate the modernization program for the advanced Teseo MK2/E anti-ship missile, also known as Otomat MK2/E. This large-scale program aims to thoroughly upgrade the legendary family of anti-ship missiles that have been in service since 1967, adapting them to modern combat requirements.

### Background and Implementation Stages

The large-scale modernization program for the Otomat series began back in 2021. The development and testing of new components took several years, culminating in the signing of an official production contract between the Italian Navy and industrial partners. The primary goal for engineers was to replace outdated hardware assemblies to dramatically improve flight performance, range, and target acquisition accuracy.

### Technical Characteristics and Innovative Guidance Systems

In terms of dimensions and basic weight parameters, the new missile maintains continuity with the Otomat family: the booster motor length is 5.5 meters, and the weight without the booster is 700 kg. Meanwhile, the stated firing range reaches 350 kilometers, and the modernized semi-armor-piercing warhead features enhanced contact sensors and increased sensitivity.

Key technological breakthroughs are concentrated in the guidance system. The missile uses a fully automated guidance system that combines inertial navigation, GPS satellite positioning, and a radar altimeter. The innovative four-dimensional flight program accounts for three spatial coordinates and time, allowing the munition to automatically adjust its altitude over the water surface and follow terrain contours when attacking coastal targets.

### Contradictory Data

During the analysis of open sources and expert publications, noticeable discrepancies were found in estimates of the missile's tactical and technical characteristics. While official technical summaries and basic reports indicate a maximum flight range of 350 kilometers for the Teseo MK2/E, some specialized military publications and analytical resources claim that the range of the modernized complex can reach 500 kilometers due to the introduction of new propulsion elements and fuel system optimization.

### Combat Capabilities and Future Prospects

The shipborne control system has also undergone deep modernization, ensuring simultaneous salvo firing, full control over missiles at all stages of flight until target destruction, and the ability to change the flight assignment or emergency destroy the munition in flight. Thanks to such profound changes, Teseo MK2/E has essentially turned into a fundamentally new weapon, significantly expanding the strike potential of surface naval forces.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Ракета TESEO MK2/E](https://www.vietnam.vn/ru/ten-lua-teseo-mk2-e) - Официальная базовая информация об испытаниях ракеты.
- [MBDA подписала контракт на производство противокорабельных ракет TESEO MK2/E для ВМС Италии](https://overclockers.ru/blog/Nacvark/show/240098/MBDA-podpisala-kontrakt-na-proizvodstvo-protivokorabel-nyh-raket-TESEO-MK2-E-dlya-VMS-Italii) - Подтверждены сроки подписания контракта и статус программы.
- [Tên lửa Teseo MK2/E tầm bắn 500km, công nghệ đỉnh cao, ‘kẻ thay đổi cuộc chơi’ trên biển](https://vietnamnet.vn/ten-lua-teseo-mk2-e-tam-ban-500km-tan-cong-da-nhiem-ke-thay-doi-cuoc-choi-2447762.html) - Указаны альтернативные данные по дальности полета до 500 км.
- [MBDA équipe la marine italienne avec le missile Teseo Mk2/E](https://www.msn.com/fr-fr/finance/autres/mbda-%C3%A9quipe-la-marine-italienne-avec-le-missile-teseo-mk2-e/ar-AA1NA6Hv) - Контекст вооружения кораблей ВМС Италии.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What is the flight range of the Teseo MK2/E missile?
**A:** According to official technical specifications, the flight range is 350 km, though some independent sources mention figures up to 500 km.

### Q: When did the Otomat series modernization program begin?
**A:** The program to modernize Otomat anti-ship missiles to the MK2/E version started in 2021.