The consortium includes some of the largest companies in the European defense industry, including Thales, Airbus, MBDA Deutschland, Safran and the space technology company Destinus.
The parties aim to sign a legally binding agreement within the next three months, to pave the way for the development of the project.
According to the report, the initiative is part of Europe’s efforts to strengthen air and missile defense, while reducing dependence on the American Patriot system.
The war in Ukraine and Russia’s use of ballistic missiles have highlighted the need for European countries to develop independent capabilities in this field.
Unlike aircraft or short-range missiles, long-range ballistic missiles exit the Earth’s atmosphere and spend most of their flight in space, making them difficult to neutralize by traditional air defense systems.
The new European missile is designed precisely to operate in this phase of flight, hitting the target outside the atmosphere and away from populated areas.
The first tests of the system in space are planned to take place in 2027.