The initiative now requires specific technology that excludes certain hardware that is important to some NATO members that have not signed up for it yet.
Signed during a summit on European air defense, the agreement sees Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, France and Hungary buy MBDA Mistral surface-to-air missiles.
MBDA has secured a lead role in the EATMI project to develop an air defense weapon capable of intercepting current and emerging post-2030 missile threats.
MBDA is to explore other avenues in pursuit of its development of a missile interceptor capable of dealing with hypersonic targets, CEO Eric Beranger says.
French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak committed to the advancement of the Future Cruise and Anti-Ship Weapon (FC/ASW) program.