MBDA Delivered First ASTER Missiles From New Lines to Customers

MBDA has delivered to customers the first batch of ASTER anti-aircraft missiles manufactured as part of the production capacity expansion program.

This delivery is the result of investments made by MBDA and its industrial partners to meet the growing needs of customers and strengthen Europe’s defense resilience against new threats.

On July 23, 2025, the company handed over the first batch of ASTER missiles through OCCAR.

OCCAR (Organization for Cooperative Cooperation in the Field of Armaments) is a European intergovernmental structure that coordinates joint arms programs for the governments of Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom throughout the entire product life cycle.

According to the contracts, MBDA is to produce nearly 1,000 ASTER missiles for the armed forces of Italy, the United Kingdom and France to strengthen their air defense systems.

In 2025, the company plans to deliver five times more ASTER missiles than previously expected.

MBDA CEO Eric Beranger said:

“The delivery of the first ASTER rockets, which were significantly reduced in production time, is a great achievement for our team. I thank all employees, as well as our industrial partners and government agencies involved in this process. This demonstrates our commitment to working with customers to increase production capacity and strengthen the defense industry and technology base. The accelerated delivery will provide the Italian, French and British armed forces with the necessary air defense systems to protect European skies – as ASTER missiles have already demonstrated in the Red Sea and in Ukraine – and strengthen NATO’s defense capabilities.”

Ukraine has long been using ASTER missiles as part of the SAMP/T air defense system.

The modern ASTER 30 Block 1 modification is capable of intercepting aerodynamic targets at a distance of up to 120 km and an altitude of up to 25 km, as well as operational-tactical ballistic missiles with a range of up to 600 km at a distance of up to 30 km.

As early as 2024, MBDA began taking steps to expand production to speed up the delivery of missiles already ordered.

These steps were formalized in February 2025 by ordering additional missiles for France, Italy, and the United Kingdom.

The company has invested in the modernization of its production sites in Bourges and Saint-Saint-Denis (France), as well as in Fusaro (Italy). MBDA has also significantly increased the number of employees, stocks of raw materials and components, supporting the entire supply chain in Europe.

The company plans to invest EUR 2.4 billion in expanding its production capacity between 2025 and 2029.