The main users of Aster surface-to-air missiles will acquire 218 additional missiles to replenish their stockpiles.

The French Ministry of Armed Forces’ Directorate General of Armaments reported on this.

According to the Directorate General of Armaments, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom have officially confirmed the additional purchase of Aster 15 and Aster 30 missiles.

The contract was signed by the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAr) on behalf of the DGA for France, the Segretariato Generale della Difesa for Italy, and Defense Equipment & Support for the United Kingdom, for the benefit of their armed forces.

The contract is intended for the production of new Aster 30 B1 missiles capable of intercepting ballistic missiles for the SAMP/T NG air defense systems for France and Italy, as well as for the Sylver naval systems for the navies of the United Kingdom, France, and Italy.

Additionally, the contract includes the procurement of Aster 15 missiles by France exclusively for combat ships.

This order within the framework of the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAr) will support European manufacturers such as MBDA, as well as major European players like Thales, Avio, and KNDS Ammo.

In addition, the procurement of additional missiles is part of efforts to accelerate their production, including missiles ordered in December 2022, with 134 additional missiles to be delivered between 2025 and 2026.

Starting from 2024, companies and enterprises involved in the supply chain have begun expanding production to accelerate the delivery of around 1,000 missiles by 2030.

Militarnyi previously reported that France had confirmed a new contract for the production of seven additional SAMP/T NG air defense missile systems.

The new contract will bring the total number of these air defense systems to eight. The contract was awarded with the support of OCCAR-EA and marks the transition to full-scale serial production of SAMP/T NG.

The French military expects to receive 12 combat systems by 2035. Additional orders for 4 systems are planned to be placed by 2027.