While the European industrial landscape remains fragmented in defence, MBDA represents a truly European company with a footprint in France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and Spain but, above all, with a cross-border industrial organisation. Such an achievement was only possible thanks to an effective Franco-British cooperative dynamic, progressively enlarged to other countries, which could constitute a model for industrial consolidation and integration in other domains.

However, nothing should be taken for granted a decade after the Lancaster House Treaties. Past successes call for new capability projects to maintain and even reinforce the ability of the missile industry to provide armed forces, with ever more innovation and competitiveness and the means to carry out their missions in full autonomy. The changing political, technological and military landscape calls for such projects in order to deliver the most efficient, cost-effective capabilities that armed forces deserve. Our defence community should build upon existing grounds to address future threats together and collectively reinforce strategic autonomy in the field of missiles between Europeans.

A successful convergence between political and industrial visions