Defense Sales

Airbus Defence and Space has made an equity investment in and formed a strategic partnership with Alta Ares, a French company developing AI-powered hardware and software for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions and counter-drone operations. Gibson Dunn advised Airbus on the transaction. The deal follows Alta Ares's Series A funding round, backed by the new E2D growth fund dedicated to defence and dual-use technologies, which Airbus spearheaded. Gibson Dunn's team was led by partners James Cameron in London and Ariel Harroch in Paris, with additional support from specialists in digital technology, competition law, and tax matters.

Alta Ares and General Cherry sign strategic mou to strengthen Ukraine's next-generation Counter-UAS capabilities. The agreement comes as the European Union continues to strengthen Ukraine's defense industrial base through initiatives such as the Ukrainian Support Loan (USL). As industrial cooperation between Ukrainian manufacturers and European defense technology companies continues to deepen, partnerships such as the one between Alta Ares and General Cherry illustrate this growing momentum. Following Alta Ares' recent €50 million Series A financing, this partnership marks an important milestone for both companies, reinforcing European-Ukrainian cooperation in the development of next-generation counter-UAS capabilities. Bringing AI-powered autonomous interception to the battlefield Under the agreement, General Cherry will integrate Alta Ares' proprietary Pixel Lock AI-powered terminal guidance software and Cyclop C2 system for mid-course guidance into its Bullet interceptor drone. Designed for Counter-UAS missions, Pixel Lock assists operators throughout the engagement by detecting, identifying and tracking airborne targets in real time before autonomously guiding the interceptor toward its objective. Leveraging multi-sensor fusion and advanced computer vision, the software maintains precise target tracking and interception even in GNSS-denied and electronically contested environments. A strategic partnership built on battlefield experience Founded in Ukraine in the wake of the full-scale invasion, General Cherry was built alongside Ukrainian soldiers and continues to evolve through frontline operational feedback. Today, it is one of Ukraine's leading interceptor drone manufacturers. The partnership combines General Cherry's battlefield-proven interceptor platform with Alta Ares' cutting-edge AI guidance technologies to deliver a new generation of autonomous interception capabilities. Together, the two companies aim to provide armed forces with greater precision, resilience and operational efficiency to counter increasingly sophisticated drone threats on today's battlefield. "Bullet already fights for real, no GPS, jammed all around, that's just a normal day for us. Pixel Lock and Cyclop C2 give better guidance in exactly those conditions, so more hits, fewer misses. Alta Ares brings the strong AI side, we bring a drone the war itself already tested. Together it's a finished product, not a prototype, and it's needed now", Stanislav Hryshyn, co-founder, General Cherry said. "We are proud to partner with one of Ukraine's leading interceptor drone manufacturers. Together, we are combining General Cherry's battlefield expertise with Alta Ares' AI-powered guidance technologies to deliver the next generation of autonomous counter-drone capabilities," said Hadrien Canter, CEO of Alta Ares. About Alta Ares Alta Ares is a defense technology company specializing in air defense and autonomous systems. Founded in 2024, with a current footprint across Europe, the United States, and the Middle East, the company designs and builds a comprehensive, combat-proven air defense platform for its clients, seamlessly integrating software (detection, tracking, terminal guidance) and hardware (interceptors). Alta Ares systems are actively deployed across multiple operational theaters. About General Cherry Founded in Ukraine in the wake of the full-scale invasion, General Cherry is one of the country's leading manufacturers of interceptor drones, including its battlefield-proven Bullet platform. Built alongside Ukrainian soldiers and shaped by continuous frontline feedback, the company develops counter-UAS systems for the armed forces and is expanding internationally through partnerships with global defense technology companies. Media contact Sara-Louise Boukara +33 6 17 76 79 71 Thomas Coulom +33 6 45 83 91 08 General Cherry Marko Kushnir +38 0935 289491 Liubov Perlyna +38 073 1840335 [email protected]

MBDA x Alta Ares: an unprecedented partnership for a rapid and sovereign response to the drone threat. Key takeaways for the media: - MBDA and Alta Ares are joining forces to offer a rapid, credible and sovereign response as part of the ELISA innovation partnership (Light Equipment for Autonomous System Interception), launched by the DGA (French defense procurement agency) in April 2026. MBDA and Alta Ares are combining their complementary expertise to deliver, from 2027, a first drone-interception solution against Shahed-type targets. This partnership represents a new form of strategic hybridization, un precedented between a global leader in complex weapons systems and an emerging European player in AI and ground-based air defense, to meet a new capability requirement of the armed forces. - MBDA and Alta Ares are proposing an interception solution suited to mass-deployment needs and low-cost expectations, by leveraging an innovative partnership model. This solution is based on an existing product foundation, notably the X-Lock and Black Bird interceptors, developed by Alta Ares and combat-proven on the Ukrainian battlefield, enhanced by MBDA's expertise in weapons systems. It also incorporates an industrial scale-up approach for the mass production of these effectors, through the involvement of a partner from the automotive industry. The group will thus be able to produce, from the start of 2027, several hundred interceptors per month, and rapidly reach rates of several thousand munitions. Alta Ares and MBDA offer a complete and scalable smart-mass capability, suited to the realities of counter-drone warfare. - MBDA brings its counter-drone expertise, acquired through the development of its SKY WARDEN system, as well as its know-how in the mastery of military effects. MBDA will in particular provide mature technological building blocks, with the reuse of robust guidance and weaponization chains, as well as a secure data link, optimizing the safety and overall performance of the interceptors. MBDA draws in particular on work carried out as part of the development of the Hit-to-Kill interceptor. The group also leverages its expertise as a systems integrator for incorporating effectors into a complete system, from detection through to neutralization. As a result, the interceptors developed by MBDA and Alta Ares are modular and will already feature the interfaces needed to be operated by an air defense system. - Alta Ares draws on its successful operational experience in Ukraine and the Middle East with the X-Lock and Blackbird interceptors, developed to meet Ukrainian and Middle Eastern needs. These interceptors share a common onboard terminal-guidance AI, Pixel Lock, developed by Alta Ares, which handles detection, classification and real-time guidance toward the target. Developed and validated in real combat conditions within Ukrainian drone units since 2025, Pixel Lock has successfully demonstrated its ability to intercept Shahed-type drones. The X-Lock and Blackbird solutions have thus benefited directly from field feedback from operators in a tight feedback loop, through rapid iterations, making them suited to high-intensity needs, whether in Arctic or desert conditions. - The group will rely on an industrial ecosystem entirely based in Europe to offer sovereign solutions, designed and developed in Europe. This hybridization between MBDA and Alta Ares demonstrates that it is possible to combine the speed of new entrants with the depth of a major European industrial player, in order to turn proven innovation into a credible defense capability to meet the needs of European armed forces and their allies. Background information: 1. ELISA: a flagship programaddressing the needs of the French armed forces - The acceleration of the drone threat, observed both in Ukraine on European soil and in the Middle East, requires Altaares to keep adapting in order to provide rapid responses to the armed forces. Faced with the proliferation of Shahed type threats and the spread o flow cost drones that disrupt air defense systems, new needs are emerging to sustain a long term effort against all these current and future threats (Shahed and others, FPV drones, etc.). - In France, the armed forces continue to build up their capabilities in counter-drone defense, in order to further strengthen their defense and interception capabilities in an uncertain international context. The rapid evolution of threats means the armed forces need to acquire new capabilities, tailored to their needs, in order tore concile operational effectiveness, volume, responsiveness and cost of neutralization. - In April 2026, the DGA launched a new innovation partnership to advance interceptor development, under the name ELISA. This partnership aims at the development, evaluation and industrialization of interceptors capable of countering current and future threats from drones or autonomous remotely-operated munitions weighing over 100 kg and reaching speeds of up to 600 km/h, deployable without heavy equipment. These are systems designed to neutralize targets either on impact or by means of an onboard pyrotechnic charge. The targets described in this program correspond notably to current Shahed-type drones or to slow, unsophisticated cruise missiles (such as theKH-101 type). ELISA thus aims to develop and produce a first next-generation interceptor capability to neutralize Shahed-type targets, with an initial operational capability from the start of 2027. - ELISA will be able to support up to four partners. The DGA plans to allocate €18.7 million to fund three successive phases, each potentially elimination-based. The first phase will involve evaluating the solutions that will serve as the basis for developing future drones. The most promising will be acquired in a second phase to cover short-term needs, a stage that will also involve delivering operational prototypes. However, the bulk of the investment €12.5 million, is earmarked for a third stage focused on production and continuous improvement. Around 1,000interceptors could thus be delivered to the armed forces through this seven-year partnership. 2. A rapid, credible and sovereign solution - MBDA and Alta Ares are proposing an interception solution suited to mass-deployment needs and low-cost expectations, by leveraging an unprecedented partnership model. This solution is based on an existing product foundation, notably the X-Lock and Black Bird interceptors, developed by Alta Ares and combat-proven on the Ukrainian battlefield, enhanced by MBDA's expertise in weapons systems. - The Black Bird is a fixed-wing interceptor prototype, powered by a turbojet engine. It was developed to counter high-velocity targets such as glide bombs (FAB-500) and cruise missiles(KH-101). It reaches a maximum speed of 570 km/h, with a range of 40 km and a ceiling of 7,500 m. Its maximum mass is 8 kg, with a pyrotechnic payload of 1to 3 kg. It has undergone testing and demonstrations with the French armed forces and NATO under Arctic climate conditions, and desert-condition tests are planned for summer 2026. - The X-Lock is a 5 kg quadcopter interceptor with vertical take-off and landing, requiring no launch infrastructure. It reaches a maximum speed of 270 km/h, with a 15 km operating radius and a ceiling of 4,500 m. It carries a military payload of 850 g. - Pixel-Lock is the sovereign onboard AI terminal-guidance software developed by Alta Ares, providing real-time detection, classification and target lock-on. Its open, modular architecture facilitates hardware and software upgrades without structural redesign of the system. Developed and validated in real combat conditions with in Ukrainian drone units since 2025, Pixel Lock has demonstrated its ability to intercept Shahed-type drones as well as ISR drones. Following the outbreak of war in theMiddle East in March 2026, Alta Ares signed several contracts with Gulf governments and companies for the acquisition of interceptors. - To address the production challenges of these solutions, MBDA and Alta Ares are relying on a resilient industrial model that ensures a rapid production ramp-up, through the involvement of a partner from the automotive industry. This partner has industrial facilities sized for mass-production needs, already in place and ready to meet demand with in national territory. The group will thus be able to meet the production requirements set out under the ELISA partnership, producing several hundred interceptors per month from early 2027, and rapidly reaching rates of several thous and munitions if needed. - Alta Ares brings agility, a decisive asset in responding to the accelerating threat, which needs to be complemented by MBDA's broader mastery of the integration, security, qualification and support requirements for weapons systems. In a spirit of complementarity, MBDA's expertise thus makes it possible to turn the speed of innovation into a lasting sovereign capability. The group therefore offers a rapid, credible, robust and sovereign response to the armed forces.