AVIO AND ARIANEGROUP SIGN CONTRACT FOR ARIANE 6 STABILIZED PRODUCTION PHASE VALUED OVER 200M€ FOR AVIO

• ArianeGroup and Avio have concluded a major contract for the production of Ariane 6 items up to 2029, including P120/P160 boosters and oxygen turbopumps;
• Europropulsion, the JV co-owned by ArianeGroup and Avio, integrates and supplies P160C solid rocket motors to Ariane Group throughout the stabilized exploitation phase of Ariane 6 and Vega C;
• The commercial agreement also covers the mutual supply of components and equipment for ArianeGroup’s Ariane 6 and Avio’s Vega C launchers.
• The total value of the order intake associated to the signed contract exceeds 200M€ for Avio.
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Colleferro (Rome), 17 November 2025 - On November 14, Avio and ArianeGroup have concluded an important agreement that renews their industrial cooperation to secure Europe’s independent access to space. Europropulsion, a joint venture equally owned by ArianeGroup and Avio, will supply P160C solid rocket motors for the stabilized exploitation phase of Europe’s heavy launcher Ariane 6. The contract secures the production of the P160C for the next years up to 2029 and is an important milestone for Ariane 6.

Developed jointly by ArianeGroup and Avio through Europropulsion, the P160C is a common solid rocket motor for boosters on Ariane 6 and for Vega C first stage, as a shared building block of the two European launcher families. This new motor has a significantly increased performance compared to the current Ariane 6 and Vega C boosters, and was ground qualified in 2025. The first Ariane 6 launch with the P160C is planned for the second quarter 2026 in the Ariane 6 configuration with four boosters.

As part of the commercial agreement, Avio will also supply additional liquid oxygen turbopumps for ArianeGroup’s Vulcain engine that equips the first stage of Ariane 6. ArianeGroup will supply a range of components and equipment for the Vega C launcher. The cooperation builds on a longstanding industrial partnership between ArianeGroup and Avio and gives visibility to both companies for the next years, at least up to 2029.

Giulio Ranzo, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Avio, said: “Avio and Ariane Group are very satisfied to have signed a broad industrial agreement, seeking to capture synergies between Ariane 6 and Vega C to improve technology and performance as well as to increase cost competitiveness. Their joint venture Europropulsion, now over 30 years old, remains a fundamental building block of European’s capabilities to access space.”

Martin Sion, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ArianeGroup, said: “The ramp-up of Ariane 6 is in full swing. The arrival of the P160C motor opens a new chapter for Ariane 6 and Vega C. I would like to thank the teams at ArianeGroup and Avio. The agreement demonstrates once again that cooperation is key to ensure a competitive and autonomous European access to space.”