MBDA, one of Europe’s most prominent missile manufacturers, has announced a major investment program aimed at significantly expanding its production capacity as the continent accelerates its rearmament efforts. The company revealed that it will invest a total of €5 billion, equivalent to approximately $5.8 billion, over the next five years. In parallel, MBDA also plans to recruit 2,800 new employees to strengthen its workforce. The announcement was made by MBDA Chief Executive Officer Eric Béranger during the presentation of the company’s 2025 financial results. Béranger underlined that MBDA has now reached an “unprecedented strategic dimension” within Europe’s defense architecture, highlighting the company’s growing importance not only as a manufacturer but also as a key pillar of Europe’s security structure.

The company’s 2025 figures clearly demonstrated the scale of its expansion. According to the released data, MBDA generated annual revenues of €5.8 billion, while total incoming orders reached €13.2 billion over the course of the year. Notably, 70 percent of these orders came from European customers, a sign of the increasing emphasis placed by European nations on air defense and precision-strike capabilities. MBDA’s overall order backlog now stands at €44.4 billion, providing the company with a substantial pipeline for future production and deliveries. These numbers reflect both the sharp rise in defense spending across Europe and the growing sense of urgency among nations seeking to strengthen their military preparedness in response to evolving regional and global threats.

Production performance was another major theme in Béranger’s remarks. MBDA stated that it successfully delivered on its pledge to produce “more and faster” in 2025. Deliveries of Aster missiles increased to five times the originally planned level, while Mistral missile deliveries rose to four times their 2022 level. The company also confirmed that it has already completed €1 billion in industrial investments designed to boost output. These measures included the addition of new buildings and machinery across production sites, as well as the introduction of a three-shift working model. In 2025 alone, MBDA hired more than 2,700 employees, bringing its total workforce to over 20,000. This rapid expansion shows that the company is not only securing major contracts but is also building the industrial and human infrastructure needed to fulfill them.

Looking ahead, MBDA intends to further accelerate this growth in 2026. CEO Eric Béranger stated that planned investments for 2026 will reach three times the 2021 level, while total production output is expected to increase by 40 percent. The surge in demand from the Middle East, combined with strong requirements for MICA air-to-air missile systems and air defense solutions, is expected to be among the main drivers of this expansion. In particular, the company aims to double Aster missile production. Béranger also explained that the traditional defense industry model of producing strictly against signed contracts is changing. Especially in the air defense sector, MBDA has shifted toward a “produce-to-stock” approach in order to respond more rapidly to urgent operational needs. The scale of this shift is underscored by a 25 percent increase in urgent operational requirement requests in 2025.

Beyond production growth, MBDA’s announcements also shed light on the company’s future-oriented programs. Béranger revealed that the FC/ASW project, which is set to replace Storm Shadow and is linked to Exocet 4 development, will now be divided into two branches: “Stratus LO” for low observability and “Stratus RS” for rapid strike. Italy’s inclusion in the Stratus LO project points to a broader European industrial and technological partnership. In addition, MBDA confirmed that its cooperation with Airbus on remote carriers within the SCAF future combat air system program is progressing successfully. These developments indicate that MBDA is not only focused on meeting today’s missile demand, but is also positioning itself at the center of Europe’s next-generation combat ecosystem. Altogether, the company’s latest plans reinforce its critical role in strengthening Europe’s strategic sovereignty and reducing dependence on external defense suppliers.