Type 45 destroyer HMS Defender firing an Aster missile in 2019. Credit: UK MoD/Crown copyright

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced that it expects a contract to be placed for additional Aster 30 surface-to-air missiles “imminently”, which could be aligned with the UK’s plan to change the payload composition of the Royal Navy’s Type 45 air defence destroyers.

Currently, the Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyers are fitted with the 48-cell Sylver vertical launch system (VLS) accommodating a mix of Aster 15 and Aster 30 missiles.

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While the Aster 15 missiles are capable of intercepting threats out to a range of 30km, the Aster 30 variants can operate at ranges of up to 120km and theoretically provide a ballistic missile intercept capability.

“Negotiations to purchase Aster 30 have concluded and a contract placement is expected imminently,” stated Maria Eagle, Minister for Defence Procurement, on 10 February 2025.

In 2021, MBDA UK was awarded an 11-year contract by the previous Conservative government to integrate the Common Anti-Air Modular Missile (CAMM) programme, often referred to as Sea Ceptor, into the Type 45 destroyers’ Sea Viper weapon systems.

In addition, a ten-year contract with Eurosam was to provide a refresh of the Aster 30 missiles system that are currently in use.

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The upgrade will see the installation of a 24-missile CAMM silo forward of the 48-cell Syler VLS, increasing the overall missile capacity of the vessels by 50%, to fit a total of 72 anti-air missiles per destroyer. The first Type 45 destroyer was expected at the time to have been overhauled by summer 2026.

Two Type 45 destroyers are likely to be included in the Royal Navy’s planned Carrier Strike Group 25 (CSG25) deployment into the Indo-Pacific region later in 2025. The class also operated in the Red Sea in 2024, countering missiles and drones fired against commercial shipping by the Houthi faction in Yemen.