The European Commission supports the project led by Paris to the tune of 60 million euros. “The General Directorate of Armaments will be in charge of carrying out this acquisition from the company MBDA”specified the Ministry of the Armed Forces in a press release released on November 19.
As part of this global order, the DGA will therefore have the mission of making its acquisition capabilities available to partner countries which are not necessarily munitions producing countries or which do not have the equivalent of a DGA. in terms of armaments. “It's very new, recognizes Emmanuel Chiva, the general delegate for armaments at the Ministry of the Armed Forces. This makes it possible to have larger volumes, to offer the manufacturer greater visibility, and to be able to make the best use of financing, particularly from Europe.».
This acquisition, bringing together orders from several Member States, falls within the framework of the EU's EDIRPA (European Defense industry reinforcement through common procurement act) system. This system aims to encourage joint acquisitions of military equipment from European arms manufacturers in order to strengthen their production capacity and give them greater industrial visibility. “By providing better value for money through economies of scale, joint acquisitions will make essential defense capabilities more affordable for Member States' armed forces», Further specifies the European Commission.
Five projects supported with 60 million euros each
In June 2023, France launched the joint acquisition of Mistral missiles with Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia and Hungary. This operation was eligible for European Union funding planned after the Versailles summit in March 2022. The initiative was then joined by Slovenia as well as Romania, Spain and Denmark. Developed by MBDA, the Mistral is a short-range surface-to-air defense missile designed to neutralize different types of targets (fighters, transport planes, helicopters, drones, cruise missiles, lapping munitions, etc.).
Furthermore, the Commission also approved the financing of four other similar projects aimed at strengthening the European defense industry. Each project will receive 60 million euros. Overall, these projects concern the purchase of air and anti-missile defense systems (Mistral missile and IRIS-T SLM), the purchase of modern armored vehicles and the purchase of 155 mm ammunition. The five selected projects represent an overall market value exceeding 11 billion euros. “The selected EDIRPA projects involve 20 Member States, some of which will engage in joint defense procurement projects for the first time,” welcomed the European Commission.
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