MBDA has delivered the first batch of ASTER surface-to-air missiles. This ASTER missile delivery took place under an accelerated production timeline. This is less than two and a half years after the initial joint order was placed in December 2022. The milestone marks a major step in boosting European air defense capabilities.
The order was coordinated by the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR). It was executed with Eurosam and is a joint venture between MBDA and Thales. The order was part of a Franco-Italian initiative later joined by the UK. It calls for the production of nearly 1,000 ASTER missiles to equip the armed forces of France, Italy, and the UK.
Amid growing demands across Europe, MBDA is committed to scaling its manufacturing capacity. According to the company, production lead times have already been significantly reduced. Production times are further expected to be cut by more than half in 2026 compared to 2022 levels. In 2025 alone, MBDA aims to deliver five times the volume originally forecasted for the year.
“This delivery is a success for all MBDA teams,” said Eric Béranger, CEO of MBDA. “It demonstrates our commitment to working alongside our customers to ensure the ramp-up of our facilities. And the strengthening of our defense industrial and technological base. This acceleration will provide Italian, French, and British armed forces with air defence systems to protect European skies. This has been demonstrated by the use of ASTER in the Red Sea and Ukraine.”
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To meet these targets, MBDA began implementing production acceleration measures in 2024. This is further solidified by a supplementary missile order in February 2025. The company has invested heavily in its European production footprint. They have invested particularly in facilities at Bourges in France and Fusaro in Italy. Alongside capital investment, the company has recruited new personnel. It has also expanded raw material and component stockpiles, and reinforced its European supply chain.
Between 2023 and 2025, MBDA will have doubled its overall missile production. MBDA plans to invest €2.4 billion from 2025 to 2029 to support sustained output across its product lines. These investments reflect broader European defense priorities aimed at enhancing NATO readiness. responding to high-threat environments, and ensuring long-term autonomy in missile production and supply.
The ASTER family of missiles is already in operational use in Ukraine and the Red Sea. It provides high-performance air defense against a wide range of aerial threats including aircraft, drones, and ballistic missiles.
Javeria Sajid is an Aerospace Engineering student from NUST with a background in technology and a sharp focus on the global political landscape and defence innovation. She writes to make complex defence technologies understandable, and aspires to bridge journalism, policy, and engineering in her work.
