In an effort to strengthen defense capabilities, the French Ministry of the Armed Forces has issued a directive to manufacturers involved in the production of Aster anti-aircraft and anti-ballistic missiles to prioritize these orders over others. Minister Sébastien Lecornu made this announcement during an interview with his Italian counterpart Guido Crosetto in Calvi. The Aster range received top priority, with subcontractors being required to prioritize military orders over civilian ones.
One of the manufacturers affected by this directive is metallurgist Aubert et Duval, which produces special steels for various industries, including civil aeronautics and defense. The Aster 15 and 30 missiles are manufactured by MBDA in collaboration between France and Italy, and have been provided to Ukraine for their anti-aircraft defense as well as used in the Red Sea against drones fired by Houthi rebels.
Sébastien Lecornu had previously hinted at such measures at the end of March to urge manufacturers to increase production of the missiles. MBDA plans to reduce production time for Aster missiles from 42 months to less than 18 months by 2026, with a 50% increase in production by that time. However, challenges such as complex industrial organization and customs issues between France and Italy have been hindering production ramp-up efforts.
In response to these challenges, Lecornu and Crosetto called for acceleration of production in a joint letter to MBDA. They also highlighted the need for a second missile assembly line in Italy to increase production capacities. Additionally, they announced signing of a letter of intent aimed at strengthening collaboration in land arms industries between France and Italy. This collaborative effort extends from strategic alliance established between Franco-German group KNDS and Italian defense giant Leonardo which aims to create European defense group developing Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) project where Italy has observer status.
Lecornu emphasized on combining best European technologies create stronger defense clusters, echoing Crosetto’s sentiments on matter. With this collaborative effort on land arms industries set up between France and Italy, it’s expected that more robust security measures will be put in place across Europe, ensuring that both countries can better protect themselves against potential threats on their borders or from abroad.
In conclusion, French Ministry of Armed Forces has taken decisive action in order to ensure that manufacturers working on Aster missile systems prioritize military orders over civilian ones. This measure is expected to significantly boost defense capabilities across Europe through increased collaboration between France and Italy’s land arms industries.