ctg. morning brief, 29 Oct 2026
On 29 Oct 2026, Avio signed a production order with MBDA France for solid rocket motors and aerodynamic surfaces for ASTER 30, worth more than €55m over three years (28 Oct).
Why it matters: ASTER 30 is the interceptor inside Europe's SAMP/T stack. Motors and aero surfaces are the bits that have to leave the factory every week, not the pitch deck. Colleferro to France, under an existing framework: serial supply for air defence, not a concept study. Money lead.
Source: https://www.avio.com/press-release/new-order-for-over-55-me-signed-with-mbda-in-france
Romania's MoD signed a 326.5m lei (about €61m, ex-VAT) contract with Thales Romania for four mobile approach-and-landing radar systems for the Air Force (27 Oct). Deliveries start 2028 through 2030.
Why it matters: STAR NG primary, RSM NG/IFF secondary, plus precision approach radars, usable for military and civil traffic and hooked into national and NATO C2. Mobile GCA means alternate strips when fixed bases are contested. Eastern flank resilience as a purchase order.
Source: https://agerpres.ro/comunicate/2026/10/27/comunicat-de-presa---ministerul-apararii-nationale--1607304
Milan's Neuronova says it has 13,000 working H1 Marconi neuromorphic chips from a full-mask run on a 180nm European process, designed in Italy and manufactured in France, with evaluation kits shipping in coming weeks (26 Oct).
Why it matters: Voice activity detection under one microwatt end to end, per the company. A global industry buyer already paid for more than 100 chips. Physical AI needs always-on sensing that does not eat the battery. Product, not a slide.
Source: https://www.neuronovatech.com/press-releases/h1-marconi-evaluation-kits-available
Council's Competitiveness working party meets 29-30 Oct in Brussels on the Irish Presidency compromise text for Chips Act 2.0 (doc 13545/26 REV 1 / CM 4566/26), examining all three pillars and the repeal of the 2023 Act.
Why it matters: This is the room where the next European semiconductor rulebook gets marked up. Infineon's Villach GaN fab landed this week with €319m of first-Act aid. Edition 013 peg: what 2.0 actually changes for fabs that want to ship, not just apply.
Source: https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/CM-4566-2026-INIT/en/pdf