Leonardo has a 25% stake in the MBDA joint venture, which produces missiles for the French nuclear arsenal.[i] Leonardo also provides electric propulsion components for the U.S. Columbia Class nuclear armed submarines.
[i] See, for example, DSTA and MBDA deepen Partnership to advance Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems Capabilities. MBDA, 6 May 2025. Available at: DSTA and MBDA deepen Partnership to advance Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems Capabilities | MBDA.
Nuclear weapons
MBDA, in which Leonardo has a 25% stake, is the prime contractor for ASMPA nuclear missiles for the French arsenal.[i] MBDA is also involved in developing the new ASN4G replacement for the ASMPA.[ii] The new weapon is scheduled to enter service in 2035 with a range of 1,000km, double that of the ASMPA, and will incorporate new hypersonic technologies.[iii]
MBDA subsidiary Roxel develops and manufactures solid propulsion systems and other items for rockets and tactical and cruise missiles, including the ASMPA and the M51 submarine-launched ballistic missiles.[iv]
Leonardo also provides the integrated electric propulsion components for the U.S. Navy’s Columbia-class submarine, for which it was awarded contracts valued at over $1 billion and $3 billion in April 2023 and January 2024 respectively.[v]
[i] ASMPA (no date) | MBDA. Available at: https://www.mbda-systems.com/product/asmpa/ (Accessed : 9 December 2024); ‘Projet Annuel de Performances. Annexe au projet de loi de finances pour 2026, Budget général, Mission ministérielle, Défense, RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE (2025), pp. 318-319. Available at : https://www.budget.gouv.fr/documentation/file-download/30673.
[ii] Ibid, p. 321.
[iii] Hans M. Kristensen, Matt Korda, Eliana Johns and Mackenzie Knight-Boyle, ‘French Nuclear Weapons, 2025’, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 81:4, 313-326, p. 322. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00963402.2025.2524251; ‘France to Expand Nuclear Deterrent Amidst Europe’s Uncertain Future’, The Avionist, 20 March 2025. Available at: France to Expand Nuclear Deterrent Amidst Europe’s Uncertain Future - The Aviationist
[iv] MBDA makes Roxel a wholly-owned subsidiary. MBDA, 6 January 2025. Available at: MBDA makes Roxel a wholly-owned subsidiary | MBDA; Market segments (no date) | Roxel. Available at: Roxel : produits, segments de marché (propulsion militaire, aéronautique...) et services (Accessed: 2 March 2026).
[v] Leonardo DRS Receives Over $1 Billion to Support U.S. Navy’s Columbia-Class Submarine Program. Leonardo, 4 April 2023. Available at: Leonardo DRS Receives Over $1 Billion to Support U.S. Navy's Columbia-Class Submarine Program | Leonardo DRS; Leonardo DRS Awarded Contracts Valued at Over $3 Billion for U.S. Navy’s Columbia-Class Submarine Program. Leonardo, 10 January 2024. Available at: Leonardo DRS Awarded Contracts Valued at Over $3 Billion for U.S. Navy’s Columbia-Class Submarine Program | Leonardo DRS. See also Leonardo DRS Receives $45 Million U.S. Navy Investment Commitment to Bolster U.S. Submarine Industrial Base. Leonardo, 24 February 2025. Available at: Leonardo DRS Receives $45 Million U.S. Navy Investment Commitment to Bolster U.S. Submarine Industrial Base.
Last updated: 2026-06-08 16:54:49