MBDA: increasing in all spectrums and looking at new market segments
Speaking at the annual MBDA press conference Eric Béranger, the group CEO, underlined how much the world has changed in the last few years, and the impact this has onto defence industry activities, and more specifically those of MBDA
While the eyes of the world are looking at Ukraine, this is not the only area of the world were things heated up in the recent past. “Our Aster missiles are being used in Ukraine but were also launched from ships in the Red Sea by the French, Italian and UK navies,” adding that last week a SAMP/T battery downed a Russian Sukhoi aircraft over the Ukrainian skies. He confirmed that the target of MBDA is to multiply by five the Aster yearly production compared to that of 2022.
“In 2024 our missile production and deliveries marked a 33% increase compared to 2023,” Béranger said, adding that “in 2025 we will double the output compared to 2023.” Not only, the company is anticipating the production of critical subcomponents in order to be ready to cope with thew contracts in the shortest possible time. “It increases the risks for the company, but we have to do this to cope with our customers’ needs,” he underlined.
These figures were possible thanks to the 2.49 billion Euro investment plan on five years, announced last year, which includes not only infrastructures and machinery but also manpower. “By the end of 2025 we will be 19,000,” Béranger said, adding that 2025 will see a 2,600 people increase. MBDA also supported its supply chain to allow smaller companies to increase production and in some cases, it went for vertical integration, for example with the acquisition of the remaining shares of Roxel, which is now fully owned by the European missile group.
Coming to numbers, a series of new records were established in 2024, the geopolitical situation dictating of course the pace. The order intake rocketed to 13.8 billion Euro (nearly 40% on 2023 figures), revenues being 4.9 billion (8.9%), while the backlog is around 37 billion (+32%). “Looking at those numbers, as well as to the number of employees, it is a different group compared to the one I joined six years ago,” the CEO commented, underlining how looking back at 2019-20 manpower and turnover have increased by 50%, while backlog has doubled.
MBDA is constantly looking ahead, while increasing its production capacity in all its National Companies. Systems able to protect against loitering munitions and swarms of drones, both considering hit-to-kill drones and lasers, defence against hypersonic missile, the Aquila programme having been named more than once, satellite protection systems, a must to ensure that friendly space assets can counter enemy threats, are among systems under development or on the table at MBDA.
“In Europe we have all what we need, technology, brains,” Béranger stated, and when asked about ITAR issues in MBDA products he answered saying that when a customer needs to desensitise a system “we can do it.”
Loitering munitions and other types of systems that need to be produced in substantial number are becoming part of the group portfolio. “We are approaching companies with mass production capabilities, such as car makers, to explore possible cooperation,” he announced, without unveiling the name of that company, and highlighting that there is a potential for working together on high volume productions, such as drones and munitions, while high-end missiles remain a specialist work. Detailing on loitering munitions, Béranger explained that although MBDA has lost the French bid for the Colibri munition, there is a need for such products and a number of customers have shown an interest in the company programme, therefore MBDA is still investing in what is now named Sphynx. This is always done in cooperation with partners specialised in UAVs, MBDA bringing its expertise to transform those into true weapon systems that can be transported safely and deliver what is needed where it is needed.
Cooperation remains a must in Europe, the CEO underlining that MBDA was born out of a cooperation project. In the naval domain he praised the addition of Italy to the FC/ASW (Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon) programme, while for the NCM (Naval Cruise Missile) he mentioned the ELSA (European Long Range Strike Approach) that sees the participation of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom. He highlighted how cooperation is not, for the time being, going on for European laser programmes. Some of them involve MBDA but currently governments keep these well separated, a multinational company like MBDA being obliged to put Chinese walls within the company itself. “We are active in most of these programmes,” he said, so that when national authorities will finally decide to cooperate MBDA will definitely be a facilitator for bringing the programmes together.
Photo courtesy MBDA
