The French Ministry of Defense has issued priority orders to manufacturers involved in the production of Aster anti-aircraft and anti-ballistic missiles. The minister, Sébastien Lecornu, stated that military orders for the Aster range must take precedence over civilian orders. This decision was made during a recent interview with the Italian Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto, in Calvi.
One of the manufacturers affected by this prioritization is Aubert et Duval, a metallurgist that produces special steels for various sectors. The Aster 15 and 30 missiles are produced by MBDA, a collaboration between France and Italy. These countries have provided these missiles to Ukraine for anti-aircraft defense, with the Ukrainians requesting more. The missiles have also been used in combat situations, such as in the Red Sea against drones.
In response to the increasing demand for Aster missiles, Lecornu urged the manufacturers to speed up production. MBDA plans to reduce production time for Aster missiles and increase production capacity significantly by 2026. However, challenges remain in the production process, such as inefficient industrial organization and bureaucratic hurdles between France and Italy.
To address these challenges and meet the growing demand for Aster missiles, Lecornu and Crosetto requested MBDA to accelerate production and set up a second missile assembly line in Italy to increase capacity. Additionally, a letter of intent was signed to strengthen cooperation between the land arms industries of both countries. This collaboration aligns with the strategic alliance between KNDS (a Franco-German group) and Leonardo (an Italian defense giant), aiming to develop cutting-edge defense technologies such as Main Ground Combat System (MGCS).
The MGCS is a joint project between France and Germany, with Italy having observer status. Lecornu emphasized the importance of European collaboration and technology sharing for the future of defense. Crosetto echoed this sentiment, highlighting the need to create stronger European defense clusters.
Overall, this prioritization order reflects France’s commitment to meeting its military obligations while ensuring that civil society benefits from advanced weapons systems developed through collaborative efforts with allies like Italy.
