The Italy-France missile axis, this is what the Aster deal reveals

France announced yesterday the termination of the agreement with Italy for the production of 700 more Aster medium-range anti-aircraft missiles: this is what can be read in a note issued by the French Ministry of Defense, underlining that Paris and Rome have a common, that of "modernizing and stabilizing their land and sea air defense capabilities". The recent meeting in Rome between the Meloni government's defense minister, Guido Crosetto, and his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu, has created the conditions for a turning point in the Asters debate that has been discussed in recent days. At the moment, no missiles appear to be included in future weapons packages for the Ukrainian military. The agreement has a perspective of the industrial system for the joint development of the defense industries of the two countries and will have a value of 2 billion euros. The joint production will concern the Aster 15, Aster 30 B1 and also the latest version Aster 30 B1NT. The plants that may be affected by this industrial development are those of Thales and Mbda in Bourges and Selles-Saint-Denis and the Italian one of Mbda in La Spezia. The measure resumes the Italian-French industrial partnership on an equal footing in industrial orders and management. Crosetto, a figure very close to the demands of the "French party" well entrenched in the defense industry, has controlled with Lecornu a bilateral pact complementary to that associated with the United Kingdom and Japan with Gcap, an air program for the sixth generation fighter.