A consortium led by Guardian Dynamics has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop the WARDEN missile, aiming to strengthen the Netherlands’ sovereign air defence capabilities.
The agreement brings together Guardian Dynamics, Demcon, Axient Systems, and TNO, with close cooperation from the Dutch Ministry of Defence and operational end users.
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The WARDEN missile is positioned as a supplementary system intended to fill operational gaps and complement high-end air defence assets rather than replace them.
Guardian Dynamics CEO Saulo Waardenburg said: “We need the right effector for the right threat, and we need enough of them.”
The WARDEN initiative is structured to build industrial capacity as much as to design a new missile.
The consortium’s approach leverages established manufacturing infrastructure, including techniques from sectors such as automotive production, to rapidly scale output and diversify supply chains.
This model is intended to reduce dependence on any single supplier, maintain continuity in production, and ensure resilience during periods of increased demand.
Under the WARDEN programme, Guardian Dynamics acts as the consortium lead, design authority and prime contractor.
Demcon will provide engineering leadership, overseeing systems engineering, preparation for manufacturing, and integration of the interceptor and its associated systems.
Axient Systems’ role includes modelling, simulation, and applying expertise in integrated air and missile defence to ensure the system is assessed against operational requirements.
TNO will contribute applied research and technology development, supporting the design, testing, and qualification of WARDEN.
Control over the missile’s design and software will remain with Dutch parties, with arrangements intended to ensure sovereignty is maintained over intellectual property, technology rights and ongoing system support.
According to Guardian Dynamics, this approach aligns with recent calls for greater European autonomy in defence industrial capabilities.
Guardian Dynamics Advisory Board chairman, General (ret.) Dick Berlijn said: “The situation in the world has made it abundantly clear that Europe cannot continue to count on others for its security.
“We must realise that sovereignty is not just about developing systems domestically, but also about retaining the knowledge, rights, and industrial capability to control its future.”
The announcement follows rising European interest in layered air defence, particularly after conflicts in Ukraine and the Gulf highlighted the operational and cost pressures created by uncrewed systems and missile threats.
According to research firm GlobalData, the Netherlands’ defence budget is primarily intended to enable its armed forces to contribute effectively to large-scale Nato operations against Russia and conduct expeditionary missions in the Dutch Caribbean.
In 2026, the Dutch government allocated an estimated $31bn to defence, representing a compound annual growth rate of 23.8% from 2022.
In its ‘Netherlands Defense Market 2026-2031’ report, GlobalData projected the nation’s defence spending to reach $45.2bn by 2031, with missile and missile defence systems identified as the largest sector by value.
Platform-based missile-defence systems rank second, driven by planned acquisitions intended to establish a layered air-defence capability, including short- and medium-range systems, a joint NASAMS procurement with Belgium and Luxembourg, and NOMADS.
Conventional land-attack missiles are the third-largest segment.
In September this year, the Netherlands announced a plan to strengthen air and maritime surveillance through Saab GlobalEye aircraft.
A non-binding letter of intent with Sweden will give Dutch crews access to the aircraft from 2028.
