Aster missile production bottleneck threatens global defense
The SAMP/T anti-aircraft system is one of the most advanced in the world. It has already proven its effectiveness in Ukraine; however, the production cycle of the Aster family missiles used in it is exceptionally complicated. Among others, Ukrainians have noted the irrational complexity and prolonged production time.
SAMP/T is one of the most advanced anti-aircraft systems worldwide. It was developed from the sea-air anti-aircraft system designed for French and Italian warships and uses Aster family missiles. SAMP/T is the land version of this system.
This system is set to form Italy's missile defense shield, has been purchased by Singapore, and has proven its effectiveness in war conditions after being deployed to Ukraine. The probability of destroying a target with a single missile is as high as 0.9 for SAMP/T.
Although technically both the SAMP/T and the Aster family missiles used in it are at the forefront globally, the production process of Aster missiles poses a significant problem, limiting the potential for mass production.
As a result, there is a shortage of missiles for one of the key, highly effective anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems. This issue is highlighted by the Ukrainian service Defence Express.
How long does it take to build an Aster missile?
Building one Aster missile takes up to 40 months. Although, of course—due to serial production—many more missiles are produced during that time.
The lengthy production time is due to the fact that the Aster missile is composed of about 10,000 parts, and during assembly, it must undergo a very long journey. Different stages of production are carried out in facilities in Italy and France, and the missile—before being operational—is transported multiple times from one side of the Alps to the other.
The manufacturer, Eurosam, acknowledges this problem and has made efforts to shorten the production time of a single missile.
The problem with production dispersion
This is not simple due to the dispersed ownership—Eurosam is owned by the Thales and MBDA groups, where Airbus, BAE Systems, and Leonardo have stakes. As a result, shareholders put pressure on maintaining the current division of labor to ensure profits and employment in individual facilities.
Consolidating production and increasing its efficiency are difficult to achieve under such conditions.
Despite this, Eurosam can boast limited success—less than anticipated. According to Defence Express, through investments in new production equipment, increased employment, and weekend work, the assembly time for one Aster missile is reduced from over three years to about two years.
