France, Italy, and the UK boost Aster missile procurement and speed manufacture to guarantee quicker deployments enhancing European air defence capacity.

Reinforcing their combined air defence capabilities, the governments of France, Italy, and the United Kingdom have ordered 218 more Aster missiles. Along with this new acquisition, the nations have chosen to expedite the delivery of already bought missiles, thereby guaranteeing a more rapid deployment timeline.

Signed on behalf of the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR), the contract was Italy's Segretariato Generale della Difesa, France's Defence Procurement Agency (DGA), UK's Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S).

Enhanced Industrial Cooperation and Air Defence 

This agreement builds on an earlier agreement the three countries struck in December 2022, in which they bought 700 Aster missiles. Produced by Eurosam, the Aster 15 and Aster 30 missile systems will be combined into naval and land-based air defence systems throughout the three countries. 

Although they have the same two-stage propulsion technology, the Aster 30 and Aster 15 missiles are meant for distinct purposes.

Aster 30 is best suited to offset conventional air threats and tactical ballistic missiles.

Aster 15 is meant to resist high-speed, manoeuvrable threats in saturation strikes.

OCCAR and Eurosam signed an addendum to quicken the missile manufacturing schedule as part of the agreement. Under the existing deal, the updated plan seeks to deliver 134 missiles between 2025 and 2026; the freshly bought 218 Aster missiles will be supplied in the following phases.

Thanks to further investments in MBDA and its subcontractors, production schedules should shrink from 42 months in 2022 to 18 months by 2026.