European defence companies have agreed to set up their own missile defence system
Thales, Airbus, MBDA Deutschland, Safran and the aerospace start-up Destinus have signed a letter of intent in Paris to establish the Bliksem EXO Consortium. Its aim is to develop a European exoatmospheric ballistic missile interceptor, according to Reuters.
The project participants stated that the future system is set to become Europe’s first interceptor capable of destroying medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles whilst they are in flight outside the atmosphere.
The initiative was announced against the backdrop of efforts by European countries to strengthen their air and missile defences following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as well as growing concerns over the threat of ballistic missile use.
The announcement of the consortium’s formation came the day after the launch of the Integrated Anti-Ballistic Missile Coalition in Paris. As part of this initiative, European leaders have declared their intention to jointly develop a cheaper alternative to the US Patriot air defence system, against the backdrop of intensified Russian ballistic missile strikes on Ukraine.
The consortium members plan to conclude a legally binding agreement within three months, commence joint engineering work in August, and conduct tests of an exoatmospheric interceptor in space in 2027.
At the same time, the companies emphasised that the signed letter of intent does not, in itself, provide for the financing of the project or the procurement of the future system.
