London - The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded MBDA UK Limited a £1.86 million contract to study the integration of the Aster 30 surface-to-air missile with the Lockheed Martin MK 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS). The study will assess whether the missile can operate from the American-made launcher, potentially reducing the Royal Navy's dependence on separate launching systems.
The 10-month, single-source contract was signed on 30 October 2026 and will run from 1 November 2026 to 31 August 2027. It is worth £1,860,855 excluding VAT and £2,233,026 including VAT. The MoD said the findings will support future naval capability decisions and improve operational flexibility.
Aster 30 Currently Uses SYLVER Launchers
The Royal Navy operates the Aster 30 as part of its Sea Viper air defence system aboard Type 45 destroyers. Sea Viper is the UK's version of the Principal Anti-Air Missile System (PAAMS), developed jointly with France and Italy.
The Type 45 destroyers use a 48-cell SYLVER A50 launcher, manufactured by Naval Group. Both Aster 30 and the shorter-range Aster 15 are currently qualified to launch from the SYLVER system.
MK 41 Standardisation Across Future Frigates
The Royal Navy plans to standardise the MK 41 VLS across future crewed surface ships. The system is widely used by the US Navy and 14 other allied navies across more than 26 ship classes. It has recorded over 4,300 successful missile firings and supports a wide range of naval weapons.
The UK's eight Type 26 frigates are being built with 24-cell MK 41 launchers. The Defence Investment Plan, presented in June 2026, also confirmed MK 41 installations for all five upcoming Type 31 frigates.
Why MBDA Received the Contract
The MoD selected MBDA through a single-source award, citing technical reasons and the absence of reasonable alternatives. MBDA is the original manufacturer of the Aster missile and has the expertise required to assess its compatibility with a different launcher.
The company also holds contractual rights to use proprietary technical data from Lockheed Martin, the original manufacturer of the MK 41 system.
Previous Integration Plans and Future Missiles
Aster integration with MK 41 was considered during the early 1990s, when the UK, France and Italy were developing the PAAMS programme. However, the three countries ultimately selected SYLVER as their common launcher system.
MBDA is also developing its Stratus Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon (FC/ASW) programme, designed for compatibility with both MK 41 and SYLVER launchers. It includes two missiles: Stratus LO, a subsonic, long-range, very low-observable cruise missile, and Stratus RS, a high-supersonic, high-agility ramjet-powered missile.
At the Combined Naval Event 2026, models showed Aster B1 NT, CAMM and Stratus missiles in MK 41 launcher configurations.
——— End of Article ———