The French Ministry of Defense has issued a directive to manufacturers of Aster anti-aircraft and anti-ballistic missiles, prioritizing these orders over others. Minister Sebastien Lecornu made the announcement during an interview with his Italian counterpart Guido Crozet in Calvi. He explained that he used administrative police powers for the first time to ensure that subcontractors prioritized military orders over civilian ones, with Aster being the top priority.
One of the companies affected by the directive is metallurgist Aubert et Duval, which produces special steels for various industries, including civil aeronautics and defense. Aster 15 and 30 rockets are produced by MBDA in cooperation between France and Italy. These missiles have been supplied to Ukraine for their air defense and were also used in the Red Sea against drones fired by the Houthi rebels.
In a joint letter to MBDA, Lecornu and Crosetto called for an acceleration of production to guarantee deliveries starting in 2024. They also highlighted the need for a second rocket assembly line in Italy to increase production capacity. In addition, they announced the signing of a letter of intent to strengthen cooperation in the land weapons industry between the two countries.
This joint effort extends from the strategic alliance established between the Franco-German group KNDS and the Italian defense giant Leonardo. The alliance aims to create a European defense group and develop the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS), a future battle tank project in which Italy has observer status. Lecornu emphasized the importance of combining European technologies to create stronger defense clusters, echoing Crozet’s sentiments on this matter.
The French government’s decision to prioritize military orders over civilian ones has sparked controversy among some critics who argue that it could lead to increased tensions with other countries that rely on civilian goods.
Despite these challenges, Lecornu reiterated his commitment to increasing production of Aster missiles by reducing their production time from 42 months to less than 18 months by 2026, increasing production by 50% by then.
Overall, this joint effort highlights how European countries are working together towards creating stronger defense clusters while developing advanced technologies for future battle systems such as MGCS.