European companies unveil missile shield plan

Five European defense companies have agreed to jointly develop a sovereign exo‑atmospheric interceptor – a system they say is designed to destroy medium‑range and intermediate‑range ballistic missiles while they are still in space.

Airbus, Destinus, MBDA Deutschland, Safran, and Thales signed a letter of intent in Paris, France on Tuesday to establish the consortium called Bliksem EXO.

The system is intended to destroy incoming missiles by striking them directly, without using an explosive warhead, according to a joint statement from the companies.

The project would form the upper layer of a European missile shield, and is meant to complement existing and planned European systems that counter missiles at lower altitudes.

The program will use lessons from Ukraine's operational experience against heavy air and missile attacks in its conflict with Russia, according to the statement.

Where allowed by export, security, and government rules, those lessons will guide design, testing, and evaluation, making Bliksem EXO not just next‑generation, but built for the realities of modern warfare, the consortium said.

Short‑range ballistic missiles stay mostly within the atmosphere, while longer‑range missiles spend much of their midcourse in space, Reuters reported.

Under the letter of intent, the companies aim to sign a binding consortium deal within three months, start joint engineering in August, and test the "exo‑atmospheric kill vehicle" in space in 2027.

Amid growing concerns over ballistic‑missile threats since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Europe is moving to reduce critical gaps in air and missile defense.

The announcement comes after Monday's launch in Paris of the Integrated Anti‑Ballistic Missile Coalition, through which European leaders pledged to jointly develop a lower‑cost alternative to the United States‑made Patriot air‑defense system, as Ukraine struggles to repel intensified Russian ballistic‑missile attacks.

Ten countries – including France, Germany, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom – have said they plan to develop a joint European defense program against ballistic missiles.

"Our goal is to build a shared ballistic missile defense capability for Europe," the nations said in a statement on Monday.

The coalition – which also includes Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Sweden – said it recognized "the growing threat posed by ballistic missiles", which are harder to stop than cruise missiles or drones.

According to the statement, the program envisions "an integrated missile‑defense architecture to deter and neutralize future missile threats", and "recognizes Ukraine's unique experience".

"We aim to establish common operational requirements, joint technical working groups, clear governance mechanisms, and a roadmap towards the coalition's first operational capabilities – in line with our respective constitutional arrangements and international obligations," it added.

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