Dutch startup Destinus leads consortium to develop anti-missile defence system for Europe
Destinus, together with Airbus, MBDA, Safran and Thales, will develop Bliksem EXO, an exo-atmospheric interceptor for medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles, aiming to provide Europe with a sovereign upper-layer missile defence.
Dutch DefenceTech startup Destinus has been appointed consortium lead and prime contractor for Bliksem EXO, a new multinational project to establish Europe’s first sovereign exo-atmospheric upper-layer missile defence programme. The Katwijk-based company is the only startup among the five founding industrial partners, which also include Airbus Defence and Space, MBDA Deutschland, Safran Electronics & Defense, and Thales. Together, the companies signed a Letter of Intent to form the Bliksem EXO Consortium and develop an interceptor capable of countering medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles above Europe.
Under the proposed division of responsibilities, Destinus will oversee overall integration of Bliksem EXO and lead the development of its Exo-atmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV). MBDA Deutschland will be responsible for the interceptor booster, launcher and canister, while Safran Electronics & Defense will provide the seeker and guidance, navigation and control technologies. Airbus Defence and Space will contribute the programme’s command-and-control and battle-management infrastructure (BMC4I). Thales will develop the radar and sensor chain covering early warning, target tracking, and fire control.
Bliksem EXO is designed to intercept medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles during the midcourse phase of their flight, above the atmosphere. Instead of an explosive warhead, the system would destroy its target through direct kinetic hit-to-kill impact. The companies said the system would be capable of addressing threats including Oreshnik-class missiles with separating and manoeuvring re-entry vehicles.
“Europe has strong lower-layer missile defences, but it still lacks a sovereign European upper layer against medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles. Bliksem EXO is designed to close that gap through direct hit-to-kill interception above the atmosphere,” said Mikhail Kokorich, CEO of Destinus. “Joint engineering begins in August 2026, and we intend to test the exo-atmospheric kill vehicle in space in 2027.”
The agreement was signed in Paris during the inaugural meeting of the anti-ballistic coalition at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, in the presence of Rob Jetten, Prime Minister of the Netherlands. Jetten noted that Bliksem EXO is one of the industrial pillars of the coalition, led from the Netherlands by Destinus, bringing together leading European defence companies and drawing on Ukraine’s unique operational experience.
The consortium plans to incorporate lessons from Ukraine’s experience in countering large-scale air and missile attacks into the system’s design, testing and evaluation. Joint engineering work is scheduled to start in August 2026, followed by a planned test of the EKV in space during 2027. Before those activities progress, the five companies intend to negotiate a binding Consortium Agreement within three months of signing the Letter of Intent.
Founded in 2021 by aerospace entrepreneur Mikhail Kokorich, Destinus develops and manufactures scalable strike and air-defence systems for European and allied armed forces. The company is headquartered in the Netherlands and operates across several European markets, including Germany, Switzerland, France, Spain, the UK, and Ukraine. This appointment marks a significant step for Destinus from producing autonomous aircraft and missile systems to coordinating a complex multinational programme involving some of Europe’s largest aerospace and defence groups.
