Aster 30 is the long-range member of MBDA's Aster missile family, used at sea in Royal Navy Sea Viper service and on land with SAMP/T batteries. It has been fired in Red Sea combat from a Type 45 destroyer, appears in Ukraine through French-Italian SAMP/T air-defense support, and is being evolved through Block 1 and Block 1NT paths for more demanding missile threats.
Ukraine received French-Italian SAMP/T air-defense systems and associated Aster missiles during the full-scale phase of the war; public reporting supports SAMP/T employment by Ukrainian air defense, but does not identify individual Aster 30 rounds in specific intercepts.
Role detailsDuring the 2023 Red Sea Crisis, HMS Diamond used Sea Viper to shoot down Houthi drones and a missile while escorting merchant shipping in Operation Prosperity Guardian.
Role detailsMBDA describes Aster as a family with shorter-range Aster 15 and longer-range Aster 30 members; this entry focuses on Aster 30 and Sea Viper service.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aster 30 Block 1 | Ballistic-missile defense evolution | MBDA identifies Aster 30 B1 as the Aster evolution adding short-range ballistic-missile defense. Sources: ASTER - MBDA |
| Aster 30 Block 1NT | New-technology interceptor | MBDA and Eurosam describe the B1NT path as extending protection against more demanding medium-range ballistic, manoeuvring, and hypersonic threats. Sources: ASTER - MBDA, Successful ASTER B1NT firing, qualifying the long-range performance of the missile and the SAMP/T NG air defence system |
| Aster 15 | Shorter-range Aster-family missile | MBDA presents Aster 15 as the short- to medium-range counterpart to Aster 30 inside the same missile family. Sources: ASTER - MBDA |
The Royal Navy's Type 45 destroyers carry Sea Viper as their principal air-defense weapon system.
| Launcher | Launcher type | Launch evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Air-defence destroyer | Sea Viper is the Type 45 class's principal weapon system, and the destroyers launch it from vertical silos on the forecastle. Sources: Royal Navy Daring class, Sea Viper’s added bite in £300m upgrade for RN destroyers’ main weapon |
The land-based SAMP/T family uses Aster 30 interceptors for mobile long-range air and missile defense.
| Launcher | Launcher type | Launch evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Mobile air-defense system | SAMP/T batteries fire Aster 30 interceptors; Ukraine fields donated SAMP/T batteries as part of its wartime long-range air-defense network. Sources: EXPLAINED: Why France’s SAMP/T Could Be Ukraine’s Air-Defense Game Changer, Italy to double missile interceptor production as Ukraine runs out |
Aster 30 is an interceptor inside broader naval and land-based air-defense systems rather than a standalone launcher.
In Royal Navy service, Sea Viper combines Aster missiles, ship sensors, command systems, and Type 45 vertical-launch cells for fleet air defense.
SAMP/T batteries use Aster 30 interceptors in a truck-mounted air-defense architecture; Ukraine's wartime SAMP/T batteries make this the Aster 30 page's direct Russia-Ukraine link.
Sea Viper Evolution and SAMP/T NG both point toward newer Aster 30 variants, including Block 1NT for more demanding missile threats.
HMS Dauntless fired an Aster 30 at the MOD range in the Hebrides, marking the first Sea Viper firing from a Type 45 destroyer.
Sources: Royal Navy fires Sea Viper from Type 45 destroyer
During NATO Exercise Formidable Shield, HMS Defender fired Sea Viper against a faster, lower drone target and demonstrated the system against more demanding threats.
Sources: HMS Defender shows her power with missile firing
France and Italy finalized technical discussions to deliver the SAMP/T-MAMBA air-defense system to Ukraine, connecting Aster 30 interceptors to Ukraine's wartime long-range air-defense network.
Sources: France, Italy finalize discussions on delivery of SAMP/T-MAMBA missile system to Ukraine, EXPLAINED: Why France’s SAMP/T Could Be Ukraine’s Air-Defense Game Changer
HMS Diamond used Sea Viper in the Red Sea, the first time a Type 45's Sea Viper missile had been used in action.
Sources: Diamond joins new international Red Sea mission to safeguard shipping
The Royal Navy announced a decade-long revamp for Sea Viper that will upgrade the Aster 30 missile and Sampson radar and evaluate Aster 30 Block 1NT.
Sources: Work starts on decade-long £405m revamp for Sea Viper
Ukraine's Ministry of Defence said Aster-30 missiles were an urgent priority for strengthening national air defense before winter.
Sources: Ukraine and France step up efforts to strengthen air defence with radars and Aster-30 missiles
