At MBDA, European cooperation is not just a strategic choice, it is a defining part of who we are. Through a series of cross-border mergers in Europe’s tactical missile sector, our founding identity continues to guide our mission of delivering state-of-the-art missile systems that protect national sovereignty and ensure the long-term security of the continent.
This year at DSEI 2025, we will be highlighting the importance of alliances by demonstrating our leading role in some of the most successful cooperative defence programmes in Europe.
Our contributions to ASTER, SCALP/STORM SHADOW and METEOR are just some examples of how industrial partnerships can deliver combat-proven capabilities that serve multiple nations and strengthen collective defence.
This spirit of cooperation continues with investment in next-generation missile programmes, from STRATUS (the Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon programme) through to the evolution of METEOR and the AQUILA initiative. The future of European defence is being shaped by cutting-edge, interoperable systems to provide decisive capabilities that enhance both national and European-level security.
We are one of the few defence companies to actively utilise all of the European Union’s key defence instruments, including the European Defence Fund (EDF), ASAP and EDIRPA because we see it as an essential means to reinforce Europe’s industrial base and enable collaborative development at scale.
MBDA has been involved - and still is- into 40 projects for EDF, adding its own expertise to its partners’ ones, to serve Europe and its allies. Domains covered by this fund include critical defence projects, such as countering hypersonic missiles, developing a broad range of unmanned vehicles in all 4 domains (Air/Land/Sea/Underwater), or even providing BLOS capabilities, developing new solutions such as High energy laser, etc.
Our approach to European cooperation goes beyond institutional borders. Europe has to be considered from a geopolitical point of view as a shared security space that includes both EU and non-EU partners. The signing of the UK-EU Security and Defence Partnership Agreement is an important step towards renewing structured defence collaboration across the continent.
Stronger UK-EU cooperation holds significant promise for the future of European security supporting a more integrated European defence industry to facilitate joint development initiatives and enhance collective capabilities to achieve greater strategic autonomy.
As both a European and global actor, we remain actively engaged in NATO efforts to bolster multilateral cooperation and advance the development of a robust European defence pillar within the NATO alliance.
In a time of evolving threats and growing global uncertainty, cooperation remains our most powerful asset and is embedded in everything we do. MBDA stands as a trusted partner ready to deliver the capabilities our home nations and their allies need.