MBDA press release
MBDA delivered the first batch of ASTER missiles less than two and a half years since the order was placed as part of a joint acquisition led by OCCAR with Eurosam, the Franco-Italian joint venture of MBDA and Thales.
This acquisition, launched in December 2022, is a cooperation between France and Italy, and supplemented by a further order in February 2025, aiming to strengthen air defence systems of European countries with the production of nearly 1,000 ASTER missiles for the armed forces of Italy, the United Kingdom and France.
The accelerated production of this first batch of missiles is a first step towards the schedule acceleration underway. It is the result of the investments and the actions taken by the MBDA Group, with its customers and partners, to meet the challenges of increasing production.The delivery confirms MBDA’s ability to meet its commitment to reducing the production lead-time of ASTER missiles in 2026 by more than half compared to 2022, and deliver five times more ASTER missiles than originally planned in 2025.
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