The Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) has announced an agreement to accelerate and expand the production of Aster missiles for France, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
The agreement, signed on 11 March 2025, marks a significant step in enhancing European air defence capabilities in response to evolving security threats, say OCCAR.
OCCAR Director Joachim Sucker and Eurosam Managing Director Anne Diaz De Tuesta signed Amendment 15 of the FSAF-PAAMS Sustainment & Enhancement (S&E) contract. According to OCCAR, the amendment “focuses on the improvement of European production capabilities for Aster missiles in order to accelerate and increase the production for the Ground and Naval Air Defence systems employed by the three Nations’ forces.”
The contract modification will allow Eurosam and its affiliate MBDA to deliver Aster 15 and Aster 30 missiles within a shorter timeframe.
The three nations’ defence procurement agencies—Italy’s Segretariato Generale della Difesa (SGD), France’s Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA), and the UK’s Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S)—collaborated closely with OCCAR to finalise the contract. OCCAR described the amendment as “a further catalyst that promotes and reinforces the existing cooperation amongst the three nations.”
The Aster missile family forms a key component of various European air defence systems, equipping the navies, air forces, and armies of France, Italy, and the UK.
OCCAR highlighted the agreement’s importance within the “current geopolitical environment,” reinforcing the need for “upgraded Air-Defence systems to face increasingly more challenging threats.” The deal also supports the ongoing development of the SAMP/T New Generation air defence system.
The contract modification is part of broader European efforts to strengthen integrated air and missile defence capabilities amid growing concerns over aerial threats.
France just approved it. The speed of manufacturing all types of missiles, especially Aster has increased a lot. The same thing is happening for Mistral and Mica.
The new order is for 218 Aster 15 and 30 missiles, plus more rapid delivery of a previous order for 132 missiles. It’s not stated how many of these missiles are for the UK (Aster 30 B1 variant only), but probably less than a third given that we use only Aster to arm the six T45’s. Note that the missiles are developed and manufactured in France and Italy – with almost zero UK content. The UK is just an export customer, paying over Euro 2 million (c.£1.7 million) a missile. No wonder Sea Ceptor (about £0.2 million a missile) is being fitted to the T45’s, essentially replacing Aster 15.
You might be surprised at how many parts of the A30 are UK made.
I was very surprised to find out that the casings are made in the UK.
But I quite agree sovereign is very important and cost effective is also very important – so we can make them and afford to make them.
Time for a UK production facility?
Nice shot of HMS Duncan (the CEC antennas are a dead giveaway). Has the list of escorts for the CSG 25 deployment been disclosed yet?
Nothing definitive that i have seen,with such a small Fleet now it can’t be easy to get every Escort Ready for what will be a long Deployment.I think HMS’s Dauntless and Richmond are a safe bet ,Dragon is a possibility too if two T45’s are deemed essential,plus HNoMS Roald Amundsen.
It’s widely envisaged that the Gosport Ferry will be a big part of this trip.
Are the chickens coming home to roost for the MOD and these globalist politicians, panic ? And yes it is a weaknesses that we rely on a foreign country to manufacturer them: its a good job its by private business.