MOSCOW, July 16. /TASS/. Five prominent EU defense industry leaders have united in an initiative to develop a cutting-edge missile defense system named Bliksem EXO. According to a joint communiqué of July 14, the consortium aims to create an advanced platform capable of intercepting ballistic missiles during their mid-course phase.
The alliance, also known as Blixem EXO, brings together France’s Thales and Safran Electronics & Defense, Airbus Defense and Space from Europe, MBDA Deutschland - the German branch of the renowned European missile manufacturer - and Swiss-Dutch firm Destinus, recognized for its support of Ukraine through missile and drone supplies. The founding meeting took place in Paris, attended by Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, where company executives formalized their commitment to establishing a sovereign European exoatmospheric interceptor.
According to the communiqué, Bliksem EXO is specifically engineered to counter medium-and intermediate-range ballistic missiles, including sophisticated threats like the Oreshnik class equipped with multiple maneuverable reentry vehicles. Positioned at the upper echelon of missile defense, the system is designed to detect, track, and destroy targets outside the atmosphere during the mid-course phase, employing a direct kinetic impact (ramming) approach without warheads.
