The PARS 3 LR fire-and-forget missile by Europe's MBDA is heading into full production for the German military.

Full-rate production for the weapon, the main armament of the German Army's Tiger helicopter, is the result of successful completion last month of system validation tests.

MBDA said that in the tests, a tank passing between buildings was struck by the missile, which was fired by a helicopter about 1.8 miles away.

"The successful conclusion of the firing campaign sends a strong signal to our national customers and potential export customers", said Thomas Homberg, managing director of MBDA Germany. "This guided missile system will make an important contribution to the Bundeswehr, enabling it to fulfill the demanding missions it is expected to perform even better in the future."

The missile's production will be carried out by PARSYS, a joint venture between MBDA Germany and Diehl BGT Defense under a contract from the German Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement.

A total of 680 missiles are to be produced for the German Army.