MBDA Awarded Contract to Test Aster 30 Compatibility With MK 41 Launcher

Naval News reported on Nov. 9, 2026, that the U.K. Ministry of Defence awarded MBDA a US$2.49 million (GBP 1.86 million) contract to study whether the Aster 30 missile can be fired from the MK 41 vertical launching system.

The report further stated that the Ministry of Defense said the results will help decide whether the navy can use a single type of launcher for a range of missiles. The Royal Navy also plans to install the MK 41 on all of its future crewed warships, since the...