Germany to Scrutinize MBDA Proposal for Missile Defense System
(Source: Reuters; published Sep 28, 2016)
By Sabine Siebold
"Given the inevitable development risks involved with advanced technology, we will study the proposal very carefully before it can be turned into a firm contract," Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen told Reuters in an interview. "It's important to me that we learn from the mistakes of the past."
Germany chose the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS), made by MBDA and Lockheed Martin Corp, last year over Raytheon Co's Patriot system, but said the firms would have to meet tough performance milestones to retain the contract, one of Germany's biggest arms projects.
The MEADS system was developed jointly by Germany, Italy and the United States, although the U.S. Army later decided not to buy the system for its own use. Germany is buying MEADS to replace its Patriot air defense system fielded in the 1980s.
Lockheed and MBDA had hoped to finish negotiations with Germany by the end of year, but those prospects dimmed after the companies missed their goal of submitting a proposal by the end of July.
Experts say the project could still slip into 2018 or later due to German elections next year if the German parliament does not approve it in early 2017 before the federal election campaigns get into full swing. (end of excerpt)
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MBDA Deutschland Submits Proposal for TLVS/MEADS
(Source: MBDA Deutschland GmbH; issued Sept 29, 2016)
“The offer presented to BAAINBw is the result of a detailed analysis and negotiation process with our partners and suppliers. It is based on the RFP (Request for Proposal) we received at the end of February 2016 and forms the basis for negotiations with the German customer”, said Thomas Gottschild, Managing Director of MBDA Deutschland. The common objective is that the German parliament will be able to review the negotiated and finalised contract in spring 2017.
TLVS, based on MEADS technology, will provide unprecedented protection for both civilians and soldiers on operations either at home or abroad. Special system features include: 360-degree coverage, open system architecture and a "plug & fight” capability. This latter feature allows the attaching and detaching of additional sensors, effectors and weapon systems during uninterrupted operation, as well as rapid deployment.
In addition, the TLVS air defence system can be operated at a significantly lower cost to the user than existing systems and with fewer personnel, and will provide the German Air Force with a level of interoperability with allied forces that has not been available up to now.
MBDA Deutschland is a leader in the development and production of air defence and guided missile systems for the German Army, Navy and Air Force. The company possesses production and management experience from over 50 years of industrial participation in national and international air defence and guided missile programmes.
These include the ground-based MEADS tactical air defence system as well as Patriot, the Rolling Air Frame Missile (RAM) and Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) for naval deployment, the Meteor and TAURUS missiles, developed in European cooperation, for airborne forces, and the MILAN and the PARS 3 LR helicopter armament for ground forces.
MBDA Deutschland is a part of the European MBDA group. The company operates sites in Schrobenhausen, Ulm and Aschau am Inn. MBDA is a joint enterprise of the Airbus Group (37.5%), BAE Systems (37.5%) and Leonardo-Finmeccanica (25%)
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