This delivery follows Amendment 15 of the S&E contract, signed in February 2025 by OCCAR-EA, EUROSAM and MBDA, and responds to urgent needs from France, Italy and the UK. Originally planned for 2026, the delivery was brought forward thanks to increased production capacity at several European industrial sites.
The acceleration was implemented to support national priorities and to ensure critical Aster munitions reached operational units sooner. OCCAR emphasised that coordination with industry partners was key to achieving this rapid progress.
“These deliveries are the result of the acceleration and increase of production requested to fulfil the need of the three Participating States,” OCCAR stated, underlining the strategic importance of the move. The effort reinforces the air defence capabilities of all participating nations in both Naval and Ground domains.
OCCAR expressed gratitude to the participating nations for their collaboration and ongoing trust in the programme. “OCCAR would like to thank the Nations for their continued trust and support towards achieving such major milestone for the Programme,” the organisation said.
