Kick-Off for BEAST: The Future of European Air Combat Capabilities
After having been picked winner of the 2024 EDF call for a concept study on advanced air-to-air missiles in
summer 2025, the BEAST project consortium successfully completed its kick-off meeting on November 25,
2025. ‘Boosting European Advanced Missile System Technology’ (BEAST) targets the joint European
development and procurement of a modular future short-range missile.
summer 2025, the BEAST project consortium successfully completed its kick-off meeting on November 25,
2025. ‘Boosting European Advanced Missile System Technology’ (BEAST) targets the joint European
development and procurement of a modular future short-range missile.
After having been picked winner of the 2024 EDF call for a concept study on advanced air-to-air missiles in summer 2025, the BEAST project consortium successfully completed its kick-off meeting on November 25, 2025. ‘Boosting European Advanced Missile System Technology’ (BEAST) targets the joint European development and procurement of a modular future short-range missile.
Within the BEAST project Diehl Defence has taken over the role of the Coordinator, leading the consortium. As established system house and leader of the European IRIS-T (InfraRed Imaging System – Tail/Thrust Vector Controlled) program, Diehl Defence can build on 30 years of experience in the development and production of guided missiles as well as on successfully managing industrial consortia.
The kick-off took place at the Representation of the State of Baden-Württemberg to the EU in Brussels. It involved not only the project partners and the Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space’s (DG DEFIS) Project Officers, but also representatives of BEAST partners’ home countries as well as the Project Coordinator of the associated PESCO project ‘Future Short-Range Missile’ (FSRM). These participations underline the strategic importance of the undertaking and the synergies between EDF, PESCO, and the member states' efforts aligned with industry.
In fact, the objective of PESCO FSRM, to pave the way for a new generation of ITAR-free missiles for the 2030th, is now being implemented by the BEAST project. The ambitious aim of the EDF project is to lay the foundation for the joint European development and procurement of a modular future short-range missile. Modularity is considered a key requirement for the coming years, in order to develop rapidly and costefficiently a new family of missiles for air-to-air, air-to-ground and ground-based air defence applications.
Kicking off the BEAST project represents an important step towards superior European capabilities and technological sovereignty.