The European Commissioner for Defense, Andrius Kubilius, has urged European leaders to “step up the pace” in manufacturing missiles during a visit to MBDA, which produces components for the French-Italian air defense missile Aster, a competitor to the American Patriot.
Ramping up production to support Ukraine and rearm Europe: the European Commissioner for Defense called on Thursday to “step up the pace” in missile production during a visit to the European manufacturer MBDA.
“For the moment, Russia produces more than us in various areas, and sometimes by a large margin. So we really need to step up the pace and clearly display the ambition to surpass Russia in terms of production” in order to deter any potential aggression against the EU, emphasized Andrius Kubilius at the MBDA plant in Bourges, Cher.
Here, mechanical components for the Aster air defense missiles are manufactured, rivalling the American Patriot missile which Ukraine critically needs. Last year, Ukraine faced 2,000 missile attacks, including 900 ballistic missiles, each requiring two to three Patriot missiles to intercept, according to the European Commissioner. However, the US annual production capacity doesn’t exceed 750 Patriots, and Washington will need to replenish stocks depleted by the Middle East wars, Kubilius pointed out during a “missile tour” meeting with all European manufacturers.
“It is extremely important that we start working on Ukrainian needs right now and how the European industry can respond quickly,” said Minister Delegate for the Armed Forces Alice Rufo, who was accompanied by Benjamin Haddad, in charge of Europe.
The political defeat of Viktor Orban in Hungary raises concerns of a possible blockage of the EU’s 90 billion euro budget to Kiev, with 60 billion allocated for military needs, noted the European Commissioner. Orders will come, and preparations must be made. This includes “for our rearmament,” Ms. Rufo pointed out: the update of the military programming law includes an additional 8.5 billion euros, bringing the total to 26 billion between 2024 and 2030, for ammunition alone.
The production of Aster missiles must double by 2026
Since the large-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, MBDA has been pushed to accelerate production, especially of the valuable French-Italian Aster missiles. Their production – of which the volume is confidential – has increased fivefold between 2024 and 2025 and is set to double again in 2026, according to Hervé de Bonnaventure, military advisor to MBDA CEO Eric Béranger. The production deadline has gone from three years in 2022 to almost 18 months today.
To achieve this, the company has launched a 5 billion euro investment plan, with 2 billion in France, and increased its production staff in Bourges by 50%, as well as acquiring more machine tools. Shortening production times further is challenging, explained Hervé de Bonnaventure: “a missile is not a tube, it’s a miniaturized fighter jet,” he said while detailing the “PIF,” a component of the Aster. Its production alone takes a year and about fifty operations, a timeframe “difficult to compress.” In total, an Aster missile contains 40,000 components, with 60% sourced from subcontractors.
During the French leg of the “missile tour,” the European Commissioner and the French Minister also visited Safran in Montluçon (Allier), where AASM, guidance and propulsion kits for bombs, are produced. These kits enable bombs to be dropped 70 kilometers from their target without the risk of enemy interference, making the AASM a sought-after weapon by Ukraine, France, and export clients.
Safran is also increasing its production rates, having produced 1,200 AASM last year, four times more than in 2022. France’s goal is to increase its AASM stock by 240% compared to the originally planned target, requiring a significant increase in production rates, Safran sources revealed.
