MBDA conducted its yearly press briefing in Paris on Wednesday.
The organization’s CEO unveiled the Group’s outcomes for 2023 along with valuable insights into confronting upcoming challenges in light of an increasing demand amid a complicated global landscape.
Eric Béranger, MBDA’s CEO, stated: “MBDA was established to fulfill the necessity for enhanced European collaboration, which is an essential aspect of its very essence. The enterprise progressed to become a global frontrunner in its domain. The current challenge is to persist in adjusting to a changing landscape, whilst still promoting collaboration, particularly at the European scale. To be fully prepared when asked to meet the novel expectations of our clients, their military forces, and their allies. To assist in safeguarding their sovereignty in a worldwide arena where force increasingly undermines international rights.”
In 2023, notable domestic agreements consisted of the acquisition of Aster missiles for France and Italy, Akeron MP and Mistral 3 for France, Enforcer – which commenced serial production at the end of 2023 – for Germany, CAMM-ER for Italy, the advancement of Sea Viper for the UK, and Mistral 3 for Spain. For exports, MBDA secured substantial contracts in Europe, specifically significant agreements for CAMM in Poland and Sweden, as well as the mid-life refurbishment of SCALP missiles for Greece.
The occurrences that transpired last year on the international stage reaffirmed the necessity for thoroughly integrated defense solutions and a multi-tiered Air Defense system, for which collaborative successes like Aster or CAMM missiles are proving to be indispensable. Current conflict zones worldwide are also unveiling new trends in warfare, such as the utilization of drones. This is a trend MBDA recognized early and addressed through Sky Warden, its flagship solution designed to tackle the full spectrum of unmanned aerial systems threats.
As challenges evolve swiftly, innovation and future readiness remain focal points at MBDA. To be equipped to counter new threats and to establish a presence in emerging conflict domains. The future of deep strike is advancing, with Italy joining forces with France and the UK in the development of FC/ASW. MBDA is spearheading Hydis², a consortium comprising 14 European nations fostering Aquila, to confront the rise of hypersonic effectors. Additionally, AI solutions applied to Collaborative combat, showcased through Orchestrike, MBDA’s demonstration of Collaborative Combat Effectors, are not to be overlooked.
The organization has also made significant strides with directed energy armaments. DragonFire in the UK, the Laser Weapon Demonstrator (LWD) in Germany, and Cilas in France are notable developments. Moreover, Space emerges as a novel domain that necessitates the protection of strategic assets and the capability to execute missions from Earth. Thus, MBDA recently participated in the AsterX exercise.
To uphold its status as a reliable partner for its clientele, MBDA consistently aims to foresee and adjust swiftly. This commitment has led to a ramp-up in production, with considerable increases in the output rates of Akeron MP, Aster, Brimstone, CAMM, Enforcer, Exocet, MICA, and Mistral, while simultaneously investing in future advancements. MBDA also leverages every resource at its disposal within the European framework, having consistently backed the European Commission and the Defence agenda, now ardently embracing the European Defence Industrial Strategy and its prospective execution.
Between 2023 and 2028, MBDA plans to invest an unprecedented 2.4 billion euros at the Group level and aims to recruit over 2,600 new personnel in 2024.
Key statistics at a glance:
- Total revenues in 2023 reached €4.5 billion
- Order intake achieved a new record total of €9.9 billion
- Backorder accumulating to €28 billion
MBDA is a distinctive multi-national European entity, a world leader in complex weaponry, playing a vital role in ensuring national safety. Founded in the spirit of international collaboration, MBDA and its 14,000+ workforce unite efforts to bolster the national sovereignty of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, and their global allies.
As a catalyst for innovation, MBDA stands as the sole European entity proficient in designing and fabricating intricate weaponry to fulfill the comprehensive operational demands of the three branches of armed forces (land, sea, and air).
MBDA is jointly owned by Airbus (37.5%), BAE Systems (37.5%), and Leonardo (25%).
