Owing to the success of the on-going research co-operation into missile technologies, on 1st October 2015 the French and British governments via, respectively, the Direction générale de l’armement (DGA – French Defence Procurement and Technology Agency) and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (on behalf of the UK Ministry of Defence) agreed to extend their funding of the Materials & Components for Missiles Innovation Technology Partnership (MCM ITP). This funding provides for a further twenty-one project and includes the opportunity for new organizations to propose new projects for the programme to start in September 2016.

The MCM ITP aims to consolidate the UK-French complex weapons capability, strengthen the technological base and allow better understanding of common future needs. The programme manages a portfolio of over 121 cutting-edge technologies, which hold the promise of major advances, but are still at the laboratory stage today.