Weapons propulsion specialist Roxel has become a wholly-owned subsidiary of MBDA, as part of an effort by the European company to boost its production of precision-guided munitions.
“This acquisition will accelerate the development of Roxel, strengthening its position as a global player in tactical propulsion and consolidating its role as a national champion in France and the UK,” says MBDA, which purchased Safran’s 50% stake in the company on 19 December 2024.
MBDA chief executive Eric Beranger says the move “also aims to provide an even more optimal response to the ramp-up challenges posed by the context of war economy, both in development and in production”.
“Roxel will continue to manage its activities independently, honouring all its existing contracts with other systems suppliers while developing new markets, particularly for export,” MBDA adds.
Describing itself as “Europe’s leading supplier of tactical propulsion systems”, Roxel has three production sites in France, and one in the UK, supplying motors for integration with products ranging from cruise missiles to artillery rockets.
Sylvie Grison, who assumed the role of Roxel chief executive on 1 January 2025, says the purchase by MBDA will enable it “to further develop innovation in new solid propulsion technologies [and] make it easier to optimise industrial cycles for faster ramp-up”.
The need for European and US industry to significantly increase output of air-launched weapons and other munitions since Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine has prompted moves on both sides of the Atlantic to boost production and manufacturing efficiency.
